I! 


REESE    LIBRARY-  , 

OF   THK  •  ' 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


Accessions  No^£±?--2-2-#    Shelf  No. 


THE 


WINDOW  GARDENER. 


BY 


EDWARD    S.   RAND,  JR., 

'i 

AUTHOR   OF    ''FLOWERS    FOR   THE   PARLOR   AND   GARDEN,"    "BULBS,' 

"GARDEN  FLOWERS,"  "RHODODENDRONS," 
ETC.,  ETC. 


BOSTON: 

HOUGHTON,  MIFFLIN   AND   COMPANY. 
Hiuersifcc  Press, 
1882. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1863,  by 
EDWARD  S.    RAND  JR., 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massa- 
chusetts. 

Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1872,  by 

EDWARD  S.  RAND  JR., 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress  at  Washington. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1876,  by 

EDWARD  S.  RAND,  JR., 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


PKEF\CE   TO   NEW  EDITION. 


present  edition  of  the  "Window  Gardener" 
has  been  thoroughly  revised  and  greatly  en- 
larged. 

Every  year  has  given  us  many  new  plants,  and 
some  have  proved  admirably  adapted  to  parlor  cul- 
ture. 

These  have  received  notice,  and  directions  for  their 
cultivation  have  been  given. 

A  chapter  has  been  added  on  the  Culture  of  Or- 
chids in  the  Parlor.  These  beautiful  plants,  the  elite 
of  the  floral  kingdom,  are  yearly  becoming  more 
common  ;  and  as  their  wants  become  understood  we 
find  that  their  culture  presents  no  special  difficulty. 
A  few  years  ago  it  would  have  seemed  impossible  to 
grow  orchids  in  the  parlor,  yet  some  species  do  well. 


iv  PREFACE   TO  NEW  EDITION. 

and  doubtless  experience  will  enlarge  the  number. 
The  culture  of  Succulents  as  window  plants,  to  which 
they  are  well  adapted,  and  the  decoration  of  vesti- 
bules and  halls  with  half-hardy  Evergreens,  has  de- 
manded a  chapter,  and  it  is  hoped  the  lists  given  will 
prove  useful.  Many  subjects  have  necessarily  been 
briefly  treated,  but  the  author  hopes  the  volume  may 
be  found  to  contain  all  necessary  instructions  for 
window  gardening. 

GLEN  RIDGE,  January,  1876. 


INTRODUCTION. 


As  some  misapprehensions  have  arisen,  and  false  statements 
have  been  made  in  regard  to  the  present  volume,  it  is  not  out  of 
place  to  preface  the  present  edition  with  a  few  words  of  introduc- 
tion. 

The  volume  is  not  wholly  a  new  book,  but  is  mostly  composed 
of  a  revision  -  of  chapters  which  originally  appeared  in  "  Flow- 
ers for  the  Parlor  and  Garden."  The  latter  work,  however,  em- 
braces a  large  range  of  subjects,  many  of  which  are  only  of  interest 
to  those  who  have  extensive  horticultural  facilities ;  and  this,  in 
addition  to  its  cost,  necessarily  places  it  above  the  reach  of  the 
large  number  who  have  only  opportunities  for  window  gardening, 
and  who  only  wish  a  cheap  manual  of  culture. 

It  was  to  meet  this  demand  that  the  volume  was  originally 
issued;  and  the  cordial  reception  it  has  thus  far  met  in  the  sale 
of  former  editions  well  attests  that  it  supplies  a  popular  want. 

While  generally  the  subject-matter  is  not  new,  all  has  been 
revised,  and  the  whole  volume  brought  up  to  the  point  of  horti- 
cultural progress  of  the  present  year.  This,  of  course,  involved 


VI  WINDOW   GARDENING. 

the  necessity  for  many  changes,  and  called  for  the  addition  of 
much  new  matter. 

The  book  is  strictly  what  its  name  implies,  —  a  manual  of 
"  Window  Gardening,"  and  contains  all  the  information  neces- 
sary for  the  culture  of  plants  in  the  parlor. 

It  is  not  an  expensive  book,  but  is  a  manual  of  culture  for  the 
many ;  and  its  price  places  it  within  the  reach  of  all  who  wish  to 
brighten  the  dark  days  of  winter  by  the  presence  of  flowers  in  the 
window,  or  who  enjoy  the  home-culture  of  the  pet  geraniums,  the 
monthly  roses,  or  the  dark-leaved  ivy,  which  often,  under  the  con- 
stant care  of  loving  hands,  thrive  better  in  the  chamber-window 
than  in  the  costly  greenhouse. 

The  present  volume  is  but  one  of  a  series  of  cheap  works  on 
different  horticultural  subjects  ;  another  of  which  ("Popular  Flow- 
ers ")  is  already  before  the  public,  and  of  which  others  are  in 
preparation. 

GLEN  RIDGE,  May,  1873. 


CONTENTS. 


tH AFTER.  PAGE 

I.  WINDOW  GARDENING 1 

Growth  of  Plants.  —  Situation  and  Exposure.  —  Heat.  —  Mois- 
ture. —  Temperature  of  Room.  —  Ventilation.  —  Washing.  —  Syrin- 
ging. —  Watering.  —  Choice  of  Pots.  — Window  Flower  Tables.— 
Window  Shelves.  —  Potting.  —  Manuring.  —  Soil  —  Peat.  —  Loam. 

—  Sand.  —  Leaf  Mould.  —  Manure.  —  Proportions  of  Each.  —  In- 
sects. —  Green  Fly.  —  Mealy  Bug.  —  Scale.  —  Red  Spider.  —  Prun- 
ing. 

II.  PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING.    .   .   .15 

THE  CAMELLIA  :  History.  —  Culture.  —  Soil.  —  Temperature.  — 
Potting.  —  Pruning.  —  Selection  of  Varieties.  ORANGE  AND  LEMON 
TREES  :  Culture.  —  Growth.  —  Blooming.  —Varieties.  —  Seedlings. 

—  Budding.      THE  DAPHNE:    Pruning. — Potting. — Varieties. — 
Soil.     THE  AZALEA  :    Description.  —  Potting.  —  Culture.  —  Prun- 
ing. —  Varieties.     THE  HEATH  :    History.  —  Soil  —  Drainage.  — 
Watering.  —  Hard  and   Soft  Wooded.  —  Temperature.  —  Summer 
Culture.  —  Re-potting.  —  Insects.  —  Rooting  Plants.  —  Varieties. 
THE  CYCLAMEN  :  Potting.  —  Soil.  —  Growth.  —  Seedlings.  —  Varie- 
ties. 

III.   PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING — Continued.  .    41 

THK  GERANIUM.  THE  PELARGONIUM:  History.  —  Culture. — 
Soil.  —  Potting.  —  Winter  Treatment.  —  Varieties.  THE  VERBBNA  : 
History.  —  Culture.  —  Cuttings.  —  Summer  Culture.  —  Potting  for 
Winter.  —  Watering.  —  Soil.  —  Seedlings.  —  Properties  of  a  good 
Verbena. —Window  Culture.  — Varieties.  THE  HELIOTROPE  :  His- 
tory. —  Culture.  —  Pruning.  —  Varieties.  THE  SALVIA,  OR  MEXI- 
CAN SAGE  :  Summer  Culture.  —  Winter  Culture.  —Varieties.  THE 
TROP^EOLU.M,  OR  NASTURTIUM:  Varieties. — Soil.  —  Culture. — 
Varieties  of  the  small  Nasturtium.  —  Window  Culture. 


8  CONTENTS. 

IV.   PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING — Continued.  .    67 

ROSES.  CHINA  ROSE  :  History.  —  Description.  —  Soil.  —  Prun- 
ing. —  Watering.  —  Varieties.  TEA  ROSE  :  History.  —  Culture.  — 
Varieties.  BOURBON  ROSES  :  History.  —  Culture.  —  Varieties. 
PINKS  :  Indian  Pink.  —  Carnation.  —  Difference  between  Carnation 
and  Picotee.  —  Classes.  —  Soil.  —  Potting.  —  Care  of  Flowers.  — 
Culture  out  of  doors.  —  Propagation.  —  Layers.  —  Pipings.  —  List 
of  Carnations  and  Picotees.  FUCHSIAS  :  History.  —  Growth.  — 
How  to  direct  it.  —  Wintering.  —  Soil.  —  Varieties. 

V.   PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING — Continued.       90 

MYRTLE  :  History.  — Soil.  —  Culture.  — Varieties.  ACHJENIA  : 
Ease  of  growing.  —  Soil.  ABUTILON  :  Culture.  —  Soil.  —  Varieties. 
THUNBERGIA  :  Sowing.  —  Training.  —  Insects.  —  Soil.  —  Varieties. 
ALOYSIA,  OR  LEMON  VERBENA  :  Culture.  —  Soil.  —  Watering. 
•CALLA  :  Resting.  —  Blooming.  —  Soil.  CUPHEA  :  Culture.  —  Pot- 
ting. —  Soil.  CACTUS  :  Divisions  of  the  Family.  —  Cereus  :  Sum- 
mer Treatment.  —  Pruning.  —  Watering.  —  Varieties  of  Cereus.  — 
Epiphyllum:  Soil. — Varieties.  HYDRANGEA:  Culture. — Soil. — 
Effect  of  Iron.  AGAPANTHUS:  Soil.  —  Wintering.  —  Watering.  — 
Varieties.  OLEANDER:  Flowering.  —  Soil. — Varieties.  PITTOS- 
PORUM  :  Varieties.  —  Soil.  JASMINR  :  Soil.  —  Culture.  —  Water. 

—  Varieties.      CALCEOLARIA  :     Sowing.  —  After  Culture.  —  Soil. 
MAHERNIA  :     Description.  —  Soil.  —  Varieties.     PRIMULA  :     Sow- 
ing. —  Treatment.  —  Soil.  —  Description.      SOLANUM  :    A  Parlor 
Ornament.  —  Culture.  —  Soil.       LAURESTINUS  :      Description.  — 
Washing.    HOYA  :  Description.  —  Flowering.  —  Watering.    CHRYS- 
ANTHEMUMS:    Culture. — Watering.  —  Soil. -- Varieties.      BEGO- 
NIA :  Varieties.  —  Situation.  —  Watering.  —  Soil. 

VI.   PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING — Continued.     110 

SMILAX:  History.  —  Soil.  —  Culture.  GELSEMIUM  :  Culture. 
STEVI A  :  Soil.  —  Culture.  PETUNIA  :  History.  —  Soil.  —  Culture. 
FERNS  IN  THE  PARLOR.  CHRYSANTHEMUMS  :  Varieties  for  window 
culture.  AGAVE,  or  CENTURY  PLANT  :  Species.  —  Culture.  GE- 
RANIUMS, or  PELARGONIUMS:  New  Variegated-leaved. — Double. 

—  New  Ivy-leaved.    PALMS  FOR  HOUSE  CULTURE. 

VII.   HANGING  BASKETS  AND  SUITABLE  PLANTS,  AND 

TREATMENT  OF  IVY 124 


CONTENTS. 


VIII.   PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING  —  Continued.  133 

ABUTILON  :  New  Varieties.  CALLA  LILY  :  Growth  in  Cases  in 
the  Window.  OXALJS:  Description.  — Soil.  — Species.  CUPHEA: 
New  Species.  CHRYSANTHEMUMS:  New  Varieties.  LILY  OF 
THE  VALLEY  :  Forcing  in  House  Culture. 

IX.   PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING — Continued. 

ORCHIDS  FOR  PARLOR  CULTURE.  LYCASTB.  ODONTOGLOSSUM. 
CYPRIPEDIUM.  BLETIA.  PHAIUS.  GOODYERA. 

^ 

X.  PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING  —  Continued. 

ROMAN  HYACINTHS:  Forcing  for  Christmas.  SUCCULENTS  AS 
WINDOW  PLANTS.  HARDY  AND  HALF-HARDY  EVERGREENS: 
Hall  and  Vestibule  Decoration.  HOLLIES.  RETINOSPORA.  YUC- 
CAS. TAXUS.  THUJA.  CUPRESSUS.  THUJOPSIS.  Propagation 
of  Evergreens  by  Window  Culture. 


CHAPTER    I. 


WINDOW   GARDENING. 

Growth  of  Plants.  — Situation  and  Exposure.  — Heat.  — Moisture. —  Tem- 
perature of  Room.  —  Ventilation.—  Washing.  —  Syringing.  —  Watering. 
—  Choice  of  Pots.  — Window  Flower  Tables.  —  Window  Shelves.— 

(1) 


WINDOW  GARDENING. 

Potting.  —  Manuring.  —  Soil.  —  Peat.  —  Loam.  —  Sand.  —  Leaf  Mould.  — 
—  Manure.  —  Proportions  of  Each.  —  Insects.  —  Green  My.  —  Mealy 
Bug.  —  Scale.  —  Red  Spider.  —  Pruning. 

0    grow  plants  to  perfection  in  a  room 
is  not  an  easy  thing.     To  insure  any 
degree  of  success,  a  careful  and  con- 
stant attention  to  details  is  necessary. 
These  details  are   all  little   things   in 
themselves ;    they   seem    almost    trivial ;    "but 
their   observance   is   imperative,    if  we   would 
have  our  plants  in  healthy  foliage  and  profuse 
bloom.     It  is  by  the  neglect  of  all,  or  some  of 
these,  that  plants  grown  in  rooms  usually  present 
such  a  diseased,  unhealthy  appearance. 

Any  one  of  us  can  call  to  mind  some  frienl,  who,  as  we 
say,  is  always  successful  with  flowers ;  has  blossoms  when 
no  one  else  can,  and  whose  plants  are  models  of  health  and 
beauty.  We  laughingly  say,  the  flowers  are  his  friends ; 
he  knows  them,  and  they  bloom  for  him ;  and  so  it  is,  in 
fact ;  he  knows  their  peculiarities,  attends  to  their  wants, 
feeds  them  properly,  affords  the  requisite  light  and  air.  Is 
tt  then  a  wonder  that  for  him  the  grateful  flowers  put  on 


WINDOW  GARDENING.  3 

their  richest  dress  of  green,  and  reach  out  their  perfumed 
blossoms  ? 

But  before  we  give  rules  for  growing  window  plants,  let 
us  look  at  these  little  things,  which  may  come  under  the 
head  of  general  instructions.  And,  first,  the 

SITUATION. 

"We  have  decided  to  grow  window  plants,  and  we  must 
now  choose  our  window.  Let  it,  if  possible,  face  the  east 
or  south ;  that  is,  be  one  which  receives  the  full  rays  of  the 
morning  sun.  If  we  are  unfortunate  enough  not  to  have 
such  a  window,  choose  the  one  having  the  most  sun ;  the 
afternoon  sun  is  better  than  none  at  all.  There  are  very 
few  plants  which  will  flourish  without  sunlight,  and,  as  a 
general  rule,  the  more  we  can  obtain  the  better.  If  you 
have  a  bay  window,  looking  south,  you  need  ask  nothing 
better. 

HEATING. 

If  possible,  choose  a  room  where  the  temperature  at 
night  never  falls  below  forty  to  forty-five  degrees.  Let  this 
heat  be  maintained  by  an  open  fire,  or  by  an  air-tight 
stove,  on  which  a  large  pan  of  water  should  be  constantly 
evaporating.  A  furnace  is  injurious  to  plants,  by  reason 


4  WINDOW   GARDENING. 

of  its  dry  heat  only ;  the  little  gas  escaping  from  our  best 
furnaces  is  not  sufficient  to  affect  plants  injuriously.  And 
•while  speaking  of  gas,  if  possible  avoid  the  use  of  gas 
light  in  the  room ;  the  unconsumed  gas,  always  given  off,  is 
fatal  to  delicate  plants,  and  hurtful  to  the  most  hardy.  If 
you  must  use  gas  in  the  room,  arrange  glass  doors  to  shut 
off  your  plants  from  the  room,  or  give  up  window  plants, 
and  confine  yourself  to  growth  in  Wardian  cases.  If  a 
furnace  is  your  only  means  of  heating,  provide  for  sufficient 
moisture  by  constant  evaporation.  Another  objection  to  a 
furnace  is,  that  it  keeps  the  room  too  warm  for  a  healthy 
growth  of  the  plants. 

The  cause  of  so  many  window  plants  showing  long, 
white,  leafless  stalks,  with  a  tuft  of  leaves  on  the  end,  is, 
too  great  heat  and  too  little  light.  Proportion  the  two,  and 
you  obtain  a  short,  stocky,  healthy  growth.  In  rooms, 
this  proportion  is  always  unequal.  In  winter,  there  are 
eight  hours  of  sun  to  sixteen  of  darkness;  we  keep  the 
plant  at  a  temperature  of  sixty  to  seventy  degrees  all  the 
twenty-four.  In  a  green-house,  on  the  contrary,  the  tem- 
perature falls  to  forty  degrees  at  night,  rising,  by  the  heat 
of  the  sun,  by  day,  to  a  maximum  of  seventy. 


WINDOW  GARDENING.  5 

VENTILATION. 

This  must  not  be  neglected;  it  is  as  essential  to  the 
health  of  the  plant  as  to  the  human  organization.  The  best 
method  of  providing  it  is  to  open  the  top  of  the  window  when 
the  sun's  rays,  are  hottest  on  the  plants.  The  quantity  of 
air  to  be  given  must  be  proportioned  to  the  outside  tem- 
perature. In  cold,  cloudy  days,  but  little,  and  often  none, 
should  be  given.  Care  must  be  taken  never  to  allow  a 
direct  stream  of  cold  air  to  blow  upon  any  plant. 

WASHING. 

This  must  be  done  frequently.  A  plant  breathes  like  an 
animal,  and  not  through  one  mouth,  but  thousands.  As  is 
well  known,  the  plant  draws  up  its  food  from  the  soil 
through  the  roots,  in  a  liquid  form.  This  food,  very  much 
diluted,  must  be  concentrated,  and  thus  assimilated  to  the 
plant.  "We  have  in  the  leaves  of  the  plant,  a  most  beauti- 
ful arrangement  to  answer  this  need.  They  are  filled  with 
"  stomata,"  or  breathing  pores,  which  allow  exhalation  when 
moisture  is  freely  supplied,  and  check  it  when  the  supply 
falls  off.  These  little  mouths  are  found  on  both  sides  of 
the  leaf  in  most  plants,  but  usually  on  the  lower  side  in  by 
far  the  greater  number.  They  vary  in  different  plants  from 


6  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

several  hundred  to  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  thou- 
sand to  a  square  inch  of  leaf.  Now  we  are  careful  in  our 
own  persons  to  bathe  daily,  lest,  as  we  say,  the  pores  of  the 
skin  become  obstructed;  yet  we  are  willing  to  allow  our 
plants  to  go  unwashed  for  a  whole  winter,  when  the  pore  a 
are  much  smaller,  more  numerous  and  delicate,  than  those 
of  the  body.  The  rule  is  obvious  :  wash  the  leaves  of  the 
plants,  both  under  and  upper  sides,  at  least  once  a  week ; 
if  oftener,  the  better.  Use  water  moderately  warm,  and  if 
the  plants  become  very  dirty,  a  little  weak  soap-suds  is 
beneficial.  This  washing  should  be  carefully  done  with  a 
soft  sponge  or  cloth  in  the  case  of  plants  with  thick,  pol- 
ished leaves,  such  as  camellias,  oranges,  and  daphnes, 
Where  plants  have  hairy  leaves,  or  the  substance  is  soft, 
water  is  best  applied  with  a  small  syringe,  fitted  with  a 
very  fine  "  rose."  To  use  this,  place  the  plant  on  its  side 
in  the  kitchen  sink,  syringe  it  well,  turning  it  from  side  to 
side.  Let  it  stand  a  few  minutes  for  the  water  to  drain  off, 
and  return  it  to  its  place  :  it  will  thank  you  for  its  bath  by 
its  bright  foliage,  Never  wet  the  flowers  of  a  plant;  water 
always  injures  them ;  nor  allow  drops  of  water  to  stand  on 
any  leaves  in  the  sunshine :  the  rays  of  the  sun  form  a 
focus  in  the  drop  of  water  and  scorch  the  leaf.  Once  a 


WINDOW  GARDENING.  7 

month,  at  least,  wash  the  stem  and  branches  of  all  the  hard- 
wooded  plants  with  a  soft  sponge  dipped  in  lukewarm 
water;  this  prevents  the  lodgment  of  insects,  and  con- 
tributes to  the  health  of  the  plant. 

** 

WATEKING 

Is  one  of  the  most  difficult  subjects  to  prescribe  by  rule, 
yet  there  are  some  rules  of  general  application. 

Let  it  be  always  done  with  a  watering-pot  with  a  fine 
rose,  such  as  may  be  procured  at  any  tinman's.  The 
advantage  of  this  is,  it  allows  the  water  to  fall  drop  by  drop 
over  the  whole  surface  of  the  soil,  whereas,  if  a  pitcher  is 
used,  the  plants  are  deluged,  or  holes  made  in  the  earth  by 
the  stream  of  water,  and  the  roots  not  unfrequently  dis- 
turbed. 

Let  it  be  done  regularly ;  the  morning  is  the  best  time, 
and  once  a  day. 

The  surface  of  the  soil  should  never  be  allowed  to  become 
perfectly  dry,  nor  should  it  be  sodden  with  moisture.  The 
temperature  of  the  water  used  is  of  vital  importance.  It 
should  neither  be  cold  nor  warm,  but  just  the  temperature 
of  the  atmosphere  of  the  room.  Thus  no  check,  or  chill,  or 
undue  excitement  is  given  to  the  roots,  both  roots  and 
branches  beinj?  equally 


8  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

A  good  plan  is,  to  set  over  night  a  large  pan  of  water 
among  your  flowers,  then  you  will  be  sure  of  a  sufficiency 
of  water  of  the  proper  temperature  for  the  morning  water- 
ing. If  this  is  too  much  trouble,  remember  in  watering,  it 
is  better  to  have  the  water  too  warm  than  too  cold,  that  is, 
of  a  higher  rather  than  a  lower  temperature  than  the  roots 
and  branches.  Now  as  to  the  quantity  of  water.  No  rule 
of  universal  application  can  be  prescribed.  What  is  life  to 
one  class  of  plants  is  death  to  another.  The  amount  of 
water  necessary  to  make  a  calla  lily  thrive  would  kill  a 
cactus  or  a  heath,  and  yet  the  drought  necessary  for  the 
cactus  would  be  death  to  the  heath. 

A  good  rule,  however,  is  never  to  allow  the  soil  to 
become  dusty  or  muddy,  and  with  drainage  in  potting  the 
latter  is  easily  prevented ;  by  regular  waterings,  the  for- 
mer. Particulars  of  treatment  for  different  plants  will  be 
given  when  treating  of  each  plant. 

Never  allow  water  to  stand  in  the  saucers  of  the  pots 
unless  the  plants  are  semi-aquatic. 

POTS. 

Choose  the  common  flower-pots,  selecting  those  which 
are  light  colored  rather  than  those  which  are  brick  red ;  the 


WINDOW  GARDENING.  9 

former  are  soft  baked  and  are  more  porous ;  in  these,  the 
plants  thrive  better. 

Discard  all  glazed,  china,  glass,  or  fancy  painted  pots ; 
they  are  not  porous,  and  plants  seldom  thrive  in  them. 
There  is  nothing  neater  than  the  common  earthen  pot,  if 

:„ 

kept  clean.  If,  however,  something  more  ornamental  is 
desired,  choose  some  of  the  fancy  pots,  —  and  some  are  very 
pretty  and  artistic  in  design,  —  and  let  them  be  large 
enough  to  set  the  common  pot  inside. 

But  there  is  a  very  pretty  way  of  fitting  up  a  window 
which  is  but  little  practised ;  it  is,  in  fact,  making  the  win- 
dow a  flower  garden.  Build  from  your  window  into  the 
room  a  rounding  wooden  shelf,  say,  if  the  window  is 
large,  three  feet  in  diameter  from  window  to  outer  edge, 
but  at  any  rate  proportioned  to  the  size  of  the  window. 
On  this,  place  a  large  box,  wood,  or  earthen  ware  unglazed, 
made  to  conform  to  the  shelf,  and  in  this  put  your  plants, 
the  taller  at  the  back,  the  smaller  in  front,  and  on  each 
side  a  climber  to  run  over  the  top  of  the  window,  on  a  neat 
wire  trellis  or  on  strings. 

It  is  desirable  to  have  holes  in  the  bottom  of  the  box  to 
allow  superflous  water  to  escape,  and  to  permit  this,  the 
shelf  should  be  covered  with  zinc,  which  is  preferable  to 


10  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

tin,  as  it  does  not  rust,  and  have  a  low  rim  all  around  it, 
with  a  little  hole  to  drain  off  the  superfluous  water  running 
from  the  boxes.  This  is  a  very  pretty  way  of  window  gar- 
dening, but  is  only  to  be  practised  in  a  very  light  room ; 
for  in  a  room  with  but  one  window,  the  plants  would  all 
grow  to  the  light,  and  being  planted  out,  they  could  not  be 
turned  as  if  in  pots.  A  pretty  way  to  grow  low  plants, 
bulbs,  and  is  to  fit  a  box,  say  eighteen  inches  wide,  and  as 
long  as  the  window,  into  the  window,  and  then  place  the 
taller  plants  behind  in  pots.  This  box  could  be  turned  as 
occasion  required,  or  as  the  plants  grew  towards  the  light, 
or  could  even  be  removed  from  window  to  window. 

POTTING. 

But  a  few  words  are  necessary.  Always  fill  the  lower 
inch  of  the  pot  with  broken  potsherds  to  secure  drainage. 
In  filling  the  soil  around  the  plants,  press  it  in  firmly  and 
establish  the  plant  well.  There  is  no  advantage  in  loose 
potting. 

In  re-potting,  pare  off  as  much  of  the  old,  sour  soil  as 
possible,  being  careful  not  to  injure  the  roots,  and  place  the 
ball  of  the  plant  in  the  centre  of  the  new  pot,  filling  in  all 
around  with  fresh  soil.  As  a  general  rule,  plants  need 


WINDOW  GARDENING.  11 

re-potting  whenever  the  roots  begin  to  curl  round  the  inside 
of  the  pot,  or  as  gardeners  say,  "  touch  the  pot."  This  is 
easily  ascertained  by  turning  the  pot  down,  striking  the 
rim  gently  against  some  object  by  a  quick  rap,  holding  the 
ball  of  earth  and  the  plant  on  the  palm  of  the  other  hand. 
The  plant  may  thus  be  taken  from  the  pot  and  examined, 
retuiiied  again,  settled  by  a  smart  stroke  of  the  bottom  of 
the  pot  on  the  table,  and  will  be  none  the  worse  for  the 
inspection.  This  is  also  a  good  way  to  detect  worms  in 
pots,  they  generally  living  near  the  outside  of  the  ball.  The 
operation  must,  however,  be  quickly  done,  or  the  worm  will 
be  too  nimble  and  withdraw  into  the  interior  of  the  ball. 

Stirring  the  surface  of  the  soil  is  very  beneficial,  especially 
for  roses,  if  the  roots  are  not  thereby  injured.  Top  dressing 
is  also  productive  of  good  effects,  particularly  with  old 
plants  in  heavy  pots  and  tubs.  It  is  simply  removing  the 
top  soil  as  far  down  as  the  upper  roots,  and  refilling  the 
pot  with  fresh,  light,  rich  soil. 

MANURING 

Is  not  generally  needed  in  pot  plants.  A  mixture  of  pow- 
dered or  small  bits  of  charcoal  in  the  soil  adds  a  deeper  lus- 
tre to  the  green  of  the  foliage  and  brilliancy  to  the  color  of 


12  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

the  flowers.  Bone  shavings  produce  the  same  effect  on 
hyacinths. 

Liquid  manure  should  be  sparingly  used,  and  then  very 
weak. 

If  guano,  a  tea-spoonful  to  a  quart  of  water  applied  once 
a  week. 

Liquid  stable  manure  in  about  the  same  proportion, 
applied  as  seldom. 

SOIL. 

In  potting  window  plants  rich  soil  should  generally  be 
used.  The  different  kinds  of  soil  are,  — 

Peat,  which  is  black  earth  or  decomposed  vegetable 
fibre,  usually  taken  from  meadows  or  damp  woods.  If  a 
mixture  of  white  sand  is  with  it,  it  becomes  more  valuable. 

Loam,  our  common  garden  soil.  It  may  be  black  or 
light  brown.  The  best  is  obtained  by  taking  the  turf  of 
old  pastures  and  letting  it  lay  till  it  all  crumbles. 

Sand,  common,  or  "  silver,"  such  as  used  by  glass 
makers.  It  should  be  free  from  salt.  White  beach  sand 
may  be  freshened  by  frequent  washings. 

Leaf  mould,  the  decomposed  leaves,  being  the  top  soil  IB 
old  woods. 


WINDOW  GARDENING.  13 

Manure,  the  material  of  an  old  hot-bed,  well  rotted 
and  entirely  decomposed;  the  older  the  better. 

From  these  five  earths  all  the  soil  for  green-house  opera- 
tions is  compounded. 

In  treating  of  each  plant  hereafter  we  will  give  its  con- 

ft 
genial  soil. 

As  a  general  soil  for  potting  plants,  we  would  say  two 
parts  leaf  mould,  one  part  manure,  one  half  part  loam,  one 
half  part  peat,  one  part  sand. 

INSECTS. 

The  only  ones  troubling  house  plants  are,  the  green  flyr 
the  mealy  bug,  the  scale,  and  the  red  spider. 

Green  fly  is  to  be  killed  by  a  smoking  with  tobacco.  Put 
the  plant  under  a  barrel  with  smoking  tobacco;  let  it 
remain,  say  fifteen  minutes ;  then  give  it  a  syringing. 

Mealy  bug  is  to  be  searched  for  and  destroyed.  Fre- 
quent spongings  do  much  to  keep  down  this  pest. 

Scale  is  to  be  treated  in  the  same  way.  Warm  soap-suds 
are  peculiarly  distasteful  to  the  creature. 

Red  spider,  which  is  seldom  found  on  house  plants,  is 
nourished  by  a  dry,  warm  atmosphere.  Water  is  certain 
death.  Keep  the  foliage  syringed  and  atmosphere  moist, 
•nd  vou  will  have  no  red  "-pider. 


14 


WINDOW   GARDENING. 


PRUNING 

Is  but  little  required.  Should  a  branch  grow  out  of 
place  or  die,  it  should  be  neatly  cut  off;  and  a  judicious 
pinching  does  much  to  regulate  the  shape  of  a  plant.  Of 
course  all  dead  leaves  and  old  blossoms  should  be  cut  off  at 
once. 


'LL  teach  thee  miracles !  Walk  on  this  heath, 
And  say  to  the  neglected  flower,  "  Look  up, 
And  be  thoti  beautiful ! "  If  thoti  hast  faith, 
It  will  obey  thy  word. 


CHAPTER    II. 


PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING. 


THE  CAMELLIA  :  History.  —  Culture.  —  Soil.  —  Temperature.  —  Potting. 
—  Pruning.  —  Selection  of  Varieties.  ORANGE  Axn  LEMOX  TREES  . 
Culture.  —  Growth.  —  Blooming.  —  Varieties.  —  Seedlings.  —  Kuddi^g. 
THE  DAPHNE  :  Pruning.  —  Potting.  —  Varieties.  —  Soil.  THE  AZALEA 

(15) 


16        PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

Description. — Potting.  —  Culture.  —  Pruning.  —  Varieties.  THE  HEATH  : 
History.  —  Soil. —  Drainage.  —  Watering.  —  Hard  and  Soft  Wooded. 
—  Temperature.  —  Summer  Culture.  —  Re-potting.  —  Insects.  —  Rooting 
Plants.  —  Varieties.  THE  CYCLAMEN  :  Potting.  —  Soil.  —  Growth.  — 
Seedlings.  —  Varieties. 

|N  the  selection  of  our  plants,  we  must  te 
much  influenced  by  the  extent  and  loca- 
tion of  our  accommodations.  Some 
plants  thrive  with  less  heat  and  light 
than  others.  As  a  general  rule,  choose 
only  green-house  plants,  avoiding  any 
usually  catalogued  by  nurserymen  as  stove 
plants.  Discard  ferns  and  lycopodia.  With 
but  few  exceptions,  these  perish  in  the  hot,  dry, 
dusty  air  of  our  rooms.  The  Wardian  case  is  their  proper 
place.  Remember  it  is  better  to  grow  one  plant  well  than 
two  badly.  Because  you  have  roses,  geraniums,  and 
daphnes,  which  do  well,  it  is  no  reason  you  should  also 
grow  verbenas,  fuchsias,  and  azaleas ;  your  space  is  suffi- 
cient for  the  first  three  only;  then  be  content,  and  do  not 
crowd  your  plants. 

Now  let  us  first  give  in  detail,  with  their  treatment,  a 
list  of  plants  suitable  for  window  gardening ;  then  select 
those  for  peculiar  exposures. 


PLANTS   FOB  WINDOW  GARDENING.  17 

THE    CAMELLIA 

The  camellia  is  a  native  of  China  or  Japan,  from  whence 
it  was  introduced  to  British  gardens  about  the  year  1739. 

The  name  was  given  in  honor  of  Father  Kamel,  a  Mora- 

% 
vian  priest,  whose  name,  Latinized,  became  Camellus. 

The  plants  first  introduced  were  fairly  killed  by  kind- 
ness; an  error  not  unfrequently  repeated  in  our  day  with 
newly-discovered  plants.  They  were  planted  in  a  stove, 
where  the  extreme  heat  soon  dried  the  leaves  and  parched 
the  plant.  We  find  no  further  mention  of  the  plant  till 
1 792,  when  the  single  red  variety  (Camellia  Japonica)  was 
introduced,  and  flowered  profusely  in  a  common  green- 
house ;  during  the  next  year  many  plants  of  this  variety 
were  obtained  from  China ;  next  we  find  mention  of  the 
double  red ;  soon  after,  the  fringed  double  white,  and  many 
varieties  too  numerous  to  mention.  Strange  to  say,  the 
single  white  was  not  imported  till  about  the  year  1820,  and 
even  now  it  is.  not  common,  though  a  showy  and  free- 
blooming  variety. 

The  camellia,  in  its  native  country,  is  a  shrub  or  small 
tree,  though  Mr.  Fortune  mentions  specimens  of  the  single 
red  as  sometimes  exceeding  twenty  feet  in  height,  with 


18  PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

trunks  of  proportionate  size.  This  variety  is  almost  hardy, 
and  in  the  Middle  States  will  often  endure  the  winter; 
we  have  known  it  to  survive  even  our  climate,  when  well 
protected ;  all  other  varieties  are  more  tender,  and  few  will 
bear  any  severe  frost  without  injury.  Most  of  the  kinds  in 
our  green-houses  are  derived  from  Camellia  Japonica,  though 
other  varieties  have,  we  believe,  afforded  fine  seedlings. 

CULTURE. 

The  plants  should  be  grown  in  light  loam,  or  sandy  peat 
and  loam,  say  three  parts  loam,  two  parts  leaf  mould,  one 
part  sandy  peat ;  fill  the  pots  one  third  full  of  potsherds, 
to  secure  drainage,  which  is  indispensable ;  if  the  roots  of 
the  plant  become  sodden,  particularly  during  the  season  of 
rest,  the  health  of  the  plant  is  gone,  and  years  of  care  may 
fail  to  restore  its  beauty,  or  remedy  the  evil  caused  by  a 
little  carelessness  in  watering.  When  in  a  growing  state, 
you  can  hardly  give  too  much  water,  and  much  good  may 
be  derived  from  frequent  sprinklings  or  syringings ;  this 
operation,  however,  must  never  be  performed  in  sunny 
weather.  One  chief  care  in  the  culture  of  camellias  is  to 
keep  them  perfectly  clean ;  dust  upon  the  foliage  not  only 
injures  the  beauty  of  the  plant,  but  affects  its  health.  The 


PLANTS   FOR   WINDOW   GARDENING.  19 

plants  are  injured  by  too  much  heat ;  some  hold  that  no 
artificial  heat  should  be  afforded,  unless  necessary  to  keep 
off  the  frost ;  but  as  we  wish  our  camellias  to  bloom  at  a 
season  when  there  is  but  little  else  to  ornament  the  hou«e, 

it  is  advisable  to  force  them  moderately. 

* 
A  safe  rule  is,  never  to  allow  the  temperature  to  fall 

below  forty  degrees  at  night,  or  rise  above  sixty-five  or 
seventy  degrees  during  the  day.  The  plants  will  thus 
expand  the  flowers  more  slowly  and  naturally,  and  there 
will  be  no  complaint  of  dropping  buds,  imperfect  flowers, 
and  yellow,  sickly  foliage.  One  prime  mistake  in  flori- 
culture is  the  little  attention  paid  to  uniformity  of  tempera- 
ture ;  a  plant  can  no  more  preserve  a  healthy  state  when 
exposed  to  an  atmosphere  varying  from  thirty  to  one  hun- 
dred degrees  in  a  few  hours,  now  dry  and  now  surcharged 
with  moisture,  than  can  an  animal.  The  progress  of  dis- 
ease may  be  more  gradual,  but  it  is  sure  to  show  itself, 
and,  sooner  or  later,  the  death  of  the  plant  is  the  result. 
The  plants,  when  in  bloom,  should  be  shaded,  as  thus  the 
flowers  remain  in  perfection  much  longer.  Give  the  plants 
plenty  of  air  at  all  times,  but  during  the  season  of  growth 
protect  them  from  chilling  draughts,  which  would  cause  the 
young  leaves  to  curl  and  stunt  the  plant.  During  the 


20  PLANTS   FOB  WINDOW   GARDENING. 

summer,  the  plants  should  be  placed  in  a  shady,  airy 
situation,  out  of  doors  ;  allow  room  enough  between  the 
plants  for  free  circulation  of  air ;  the  practice  of  setting 
the  plants  in  a  mass,  under  trees,  is  most  objectionable; 
in  the  first  place,  the  drip  from  the  branches  overhead  is 
injurious,  and  again,  the  pots  become  filled  with  earth- 
worms, which  are  often  difficult  to  dislodge. 

Another  mistake  in  the  culture  of  camellias  is  too  fre- 
quently re-potting ;  while  the  plant  should  not  be  allowed 
to  become  pot-bound,  too  much  room  should  not  be 
afforded ;  a  vigorous  plant '  will  not  require  re-potting 
oftener  than  every  three  years;  on  this  point  there  is, 
however,  some  difference  of  opinion.  It  is  a  popular  error 
that  the  wood  of  a  camellia  should  not  be  cut ;  on  the 
contrary,  there  is  scarcely  a  hard-wooded  plant  that  bears 
the  knife  better;  the  plant  is  by  nature  symmetrical  in 
growth,  and,  by  judicious  pruning,  perfect  specimens  may 
easily  be  obtained. 

Pruning  should  be  done  after  blooming,  just  as  the  plants 
begin  their  growth.  Not  more  than  one  flower  bud  should 
be  allowed  on  each  terminal  shoot,  if  size  and  perfection 
of  flower  are  required ;  remove  all  others  before  the  buds 
begin  to  swell ;  if  delayed  longer,  little  advantage  is  gained. 


PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING.        21 

The  florists'  varieties  of  the  camellia  are  too  numerous 
to  mention ;  the  principal  colors  are  red,  white,  and  rose, 
with  all  the  intermediate  shades.  The  Chinese  profess  to 
possess  a  yellow  variety,  but  we  believe  it  has  never  been 
imported ;  we  have  seen  a  variety  named  "  yellow,"  the 
flowers  being  semi-double,  and  of  a  dirty  white  color. 

The  following  are  all  well-proved  kinds,  and  may  easily 
be  procured  of  any  nurseryman.  In  buying  plants,  select 
those  of  shrubby  form,  dark  green  foliage,  without  any 
places  where  leaves  have  been  dropped ;  look  well  to  see 
that  the  plant  is  free  from  scale,  red  spider,  or  mealy  bug ; 
if  possible,  examine  the  roots,  to  ascertain  if  they  are  in 
a  healthy  state. 

White.  Alba  plena,  Candidissima,  Myrtifolia  alba,  Imbricata  alba, 
Fimbriata,  and  Oleifera. 

Rose,  Rosy  Pink,  or  Carmine.  Saccoi,  Henri  Favre,  Imbricata  rubra, 
Marchioness  of  Exeter,  Binneyii,  Fultonii,  Fordii,  Floyii,  Jeffersonii, 
Landrethii,  Myrtifolia,  Prattii,  Wilderii. 

Blush.    Lady  Hume's  blush,  Towne's  blush,  Pomponia. 

Write,  striped  with  Red  or  Rose.  Feastii,  Eclipse,  Duchess  of  Or- 
leans, Mrs.  Abby  Wilder. 

Red,  striped  or  marked  with  White.  Carswelliana,  Chandlpri,  Donck- 
elaarii,  Queen  Victoria,  Elegans,  Elphingstonia. 

Crimson.  Bealii,  Elata,  Eximia,  Lowii,  Palmer's  perfection,  Sarah 
Frost,  Wardii. 

For  Seedlings.  Waratah,  or  Anemoneflora,  Tricolor,  Donckelaarii, 
Simplex  alba,  Carnea. 


22        PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

Could  we  have  but  one  camellia,  we  would  choose 
Double  white  or  Candidissima,  for  white ;  for  blush,  Lady 
Hume's  blush ;  for  crimson,  Sarah  Frost. 

All  these  are  peculiarly  adapted  for  the  window. 

ORANGE    AND    LEMON    TREES. 

These  are  favorites  for  parlor  culture,  and  easily  grown. 
Their  treatment  is  almost  identical  with  that  required  for 
the  camellia :  the  same  soil,  the  same  temperature,  and  the 
same  general  treatment  will  produce  success  in  the  culture 
of  both. 

But  they  are  by  no  means  so  clean  plants  as  the  camellia, 
being  very  subject  to  scale  and  mealy  bug.  The  only 
remedy  is  constant  washing,  both  of  the  stem  and  leaves, 
with  a  weak  soap-suds  warm,  and  applied  with  a  soft  cloth. 
Grown  in  large  tubs  they  do  well  in  a  parlor  if  kept  suffi- 
ciently cool,  and  in  summer  succeed  well  out  of  doors. 

They  are  thirsty  plants  and  require  much  water:  good 
drainage  is  essential.  From  December  to  March  they  will 
make  but  little  growth;  then  water  moderately.  About 
the  first  of  March  growth  begins,  succeeded  by  bloom ;  then 
give  more  water.  After  the  young  growth  becomes  hard- 
ened, they  may  be  set  out  of  doors  if  the  weather  is  favor- 


PLANTS   FOB   WINDOW   GARDENING.  23 

able.  A  violent  wind  disfigures  the  foliage.  The  young 
fruit  will  set  in  April  and  May,  and  will  continue  green  all 
summer,  coloring  the  next  spring,  and  holding  on  the  tree 
a  long  time.  At  the  first  approach  of  frost,  the  plants 
should  be  removed  to  their  winter  quarters.  The  lemon 
does  not  bloom  and  fruit  as  early  as  the  orange,  and  is  of 
taller  growth  and  less  fitted  for  the  parlor :  the  blossoms  are 
smaller  and  purplish  outside. 

The  little  dwarf  "  Otaheite  orange "  is  a  very  common 
variety,  and  is  always  noticeable  for  its  profusion  of  fruit. 
The  flowers  are  not  as  fine  as  the  other  kinds,  though  plen- 
tifully produced.  The  fruit  is  sweet,  but  without  flavor. 

The  Mandarin  orange  is  one  of  the  finest  species  (dwarf), 
and  producing  an  abundance  of  fruit  of  the  most  exquisite 
flavor.  Unfortunately  it  is  not  common. 

There  are  many  other  larger  growing  species,  all  of  which 
produce  a  profusion  of  white  flowers,  exquisitely  fragrant. 

Among  these,  the  myrtle  leaved  is  conspicuous  for  its 
shining  foliage,  and  the  large  shaddock  for  its  enormous 
white  flowers.  The  former  is  as  symmetrical  in  its  growth 
as  the  latter  is  tall  and  ungainly. 

Oranges  and  lemons  raised  from  seed  must  attain  a  large 
size  before  they  will  bloom.  The  better  plan  is  to  graft  or 


24        PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

rather  bud  the  seedling  when  about  a  year  old.  This 
operation  is  simple,  but  is  best  performed  in  a  green-house, 
and  it  is  therefore  better  to  employ  some  neighboring  florist 
to  do  it.  Any  variety  may  be  budded  on  a  common  seed- 
ling stock. 

Oranges  and  lemons  will  live  under  neglect,  but  to  grow 
and  flower  them  to  perfection,  attention  to  details,  espe- 
cially of  cleanliness,  is  indispensable. 

THE    DAPHNE. 

This  plant,  of  which  the  species  are  numerous,  never 
receives  the  care  and  attention  its  beauty  merits.  Every 
green-house  contains  plants  of  the  well-known  Daphne 
odorata,  sometimes  called  D.  Indica  and  vulgarly  known 
as  "  Daphne  odora."  It  is  to  thia  plant  we  intend  more 
particularly  to  confine  our  attention. 

It  is  a  green-house  evergreen  shrub,  attaining  the  height 
of  about  four  feet,  remarkable  for  its  long,  dark,  glossy, 
green  leaves,  and  its  terminal  bunches  of  fragrant,  white 
flowers.  It  is  one  of  the  few  old-fashioned  plants  which 
the  modern  rage  for  novelties  has  not  driven  entirely  out  of 
cultivation.  It  has  only  been  thrust  into  the  corners,  and 
left  to  make  its  merits  known  by  its  beauty  and  fragrance. 


PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING.  25 

It  is  one  of  our  most  popular  flowers,  and  as  a  window 
plant  is  unsurpassed,  flourishing  and  blooming  in  situations 
where  most  plants  would  dwindle  and  die. 

With  gardeners  it  is  no  favorite,  because,  as  they  say, 

it  is  too  straggling,  and  does  not  form  a  neat  plant.     In 

% 
some  respects  this  assertion  is  true,  for  it  is  impossible  to 

bring  into  good  shape  a  plant  of  this  variety  when  once 
neglected ;  but  by  beginning  with  a  young,  healthy  plant, 
much  may  be  done,  and  fine  specimens  formed.  Let  it  be 
remembered  that  the  daphne  "breaks"  easily.  Prune  the 
plant  to  a  bare  stump,  and  in  a  few  weeks  buds  will  start 
from  all  the  younger  wood ;  therefore  prune  severely ; 
never  allow  a  branch  to  remain  where  it  is  not  wanted,  let 
it  be  as  vigorous  or  luxuriant  as  it  may>  and  never  be  afraid 
of  pruning  for  fear  of  losing  the  flowers. 

The  cultivation  of  the  green-house  varieties  of  this  plant 
is  almost  identical  with  that  of  the  camellia ;  the  same  tem- 
perature will  do  for  both. 

The  plants  should  have  plenty  of  pot  room,  and  the  pots 
be  well  drained. 

Potting  should  generally  be  done  in  the  fall,  about  the 
time  the  plants  are  housed,  when  as  much  of  the  old  soil 
should  l>e  removed  as  possible  without  disturbing  the  roots. 


26        PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

The  principal  varieties  are  :  — 

Daphne  odorata,  the  most  valuable  variety  from  its  sea- 
son of  flowering,  which  is  from  December  to  March,  accord- 
ing to  the  degree  of  heat  given ;  leaves  oblong,  lanceolate, 
smooth ;  flowers  white  or  pinkish,  in  terminal  heads,  pro- 
duced in  great  profusion.  Introduced  from  China  about 
A.  D.I  770.  Propagated  by  cuttings  with  great  ease.  It  is 
one  of  the  best  parlor  plants  we  know  of,  and  may  be 
obtained  at  any  green-house  at  a  very  trifling  expense. 

D.  odorata  rulra  is  a  superior,  and  by  no  means  common 
variety ;  buds,  red ;  flowers,  rosy  red,  with  a  powerful  spicy 
fragrance.  Ix  is  a  somewhat  stronger  grower  than  the  last. 

There  is  also  a  variety  with  variegated  foliage,  which  is 
no  less  desirable,  though  rather  scarce. 

Daphne  hybrida  is  a  pretty  evergreen  shrub,  hardy  in 
England,  but  too  tender  to  endure  our  winters  without 
protection ;  flowers  purple,  produced  in  terminal  heads  and 
in  lateral  bunches  very  freely,  and  possessing  an  agreeable 
fragrance.  It  blooms  at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  but  espe- 
cially from  January  to  April. 

The  soil  should  be  four  parts  loam,  two  of  leaf  mould, 
and  one  of  sand. 


PLANTS  FOB  WINDOW  GARDENING.  27 


THE    AZALEA. 

The  Azalea  Indica,  or  Chinese  Azalea,  is  of  Asiatic  origin. 
1  he  varieties  are  innumerable ;  but  the  most  common  and 
longest  known  variety  is  that  from  which  others  are  but 
hybrids,  Azalea  Indica. 

It  is  a  strong  growing  plant,  with  long,  coarse,  evergreen 
leaves,  producing  in  clusters  of  three  or  more,  at  the  end  of 
the  branches  red  flowers  marked  with  dark  spots.  This 
plant  may  be  grown  in  great  perfection,  and,  as  well  as  all 
the  varieties,  is  admirably  adapted  for  a  window  plant. 
The  habit  is  shrubby,  and  the  flowers  are  produced  in  great 
profusion.  A.  Indica  alba  has  white  flowers,  and  is  a  fine 
old  variety.  A.  Indica  purpurea  is  a  variety  with  blossoms 
of  a  light  purple  color  ;  a  profuse  bloomer,  and  of  rapid 
growth.  There  is  also  a  double  variety.  A.  Indica  coccinea 
is  bright  scarlet.  From  these  all  the  fine  varieties  of  the 
green-houses  have  been  produced. 

To  grow  the  plants  in  perfection  good  drainage  is  essen- 
tial. Fill  the  pot  one  quarter  full  of  broken  potsherds, 
then  fill  the  soil  to  within  half  an  inch  of  the  top ;  soil,  a 
Jark  peat  three  parts,  one  part  of  loam,  one  half  part  of 
silver  sand. 


28  PLANTS  FOB  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

Frequent  re-potting  conduces  to  the  health  of  the  plants. 
As  a  general  rule,  re-pot  when  the  roots  run  among  the 
crocks  at  the  bottom  of  the  pot.  Do  not  sift  the  soil; 
break  it  into  small  pieces. 

Frequent  syringing  is  beneficial,  but  over-watering  must 
be  carefully  avoided.  Give  full  sunshine  to  the  plant,  but 
lay  a  little  moss  over  the  pot  if  the  sun  is  very  hot,  to  pro- 
tect the  roots. 

Keep  the  plant  about  the  temperature  prescribed  for 
camellias. 

As  soon  as  the  flowers  fall  growth  begins.  Give  plenty 
of  air  and  sun,  for  on  this  growth  depends  the  bloom  of  the 
next  year.  It  should  be  short,  close,  and  the  flower  buds 
be  set  at  the  end  of  each  branch. 

Set  the  plants  out  of  doors  in  the  summer,  as  prescribed 
for  camellias. 

Azaleas  may  be  pruned  into  any  shape.  This  operation 
should  be  performed  after  the  flowers  have  dropped,  or  after 
the  plant  has  made  its  season's  growth. 

The  Azalea  is  subject  to  rottenness  of  the  roots,  produced 
by  a  sodden  soil,  the  effect  of  over-watering.  The  remedy 
is  simple  :  re-pot  the  plant,  and  water  moderately.  Exces- 
sive dryness,  the  other  extreme,  produces  yellow  leaves  and 
a  general  unhealthy  appearance. 


PLANTS   FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING.  29 

The  following  varieties  are  of  proved  excellence,  and  very 
distinct.  All  will  succeed  in  the  house. 

Azalea  amcena,  a  lovely  variety ;  flowers  double  purple ; 
produced  in  great  profusion  in  midwinter. 

Indica  lateritia,  salmon  ;  Daniehiana,  bright  red  ;  Per- 
ityana,  scarlet;  Murreyana,  rose;  Indica  alba,  white- 
Purpurea,  purple ;  Coccmea,  red. 

Iveryana,  pink  and  white ;  Variegata,  rose  and  white ; 
Vledstanesii,  white,  striped  with  red. 

This  list  might  be  increased  an  hundred  fold. 

THE    ERICA.    HEATH. 

All  the  plants  belonging  to  this  genus  are  of  a  low,  shrub- 
by habit,  with  fine  acicular  foliago.  None  are  natives  of 
America.  The  fine  varieties  of  our  green-houses,  with  the 
exception  of  the  common  Erica  Mediterranean  are  natives 
of  the  Capo  of  Good  Hope,  whence  the  gardener's  term, 
"  Cape  Heaths." 

The  erica  will  not  thrive  unless  the  soil  is  adapted  to  its 
peculiar  nature;  this  is  often  very  difficult  to  learn,  and 
experience  must  sometimes  be  the  teacher.  The  soil  to 
obtain  is  one  of  a  friable  nature,  full  of  vegetable  fibre. 
lVe  find  in  an  old  magazine  the  best  directions  we  remem- 


30        PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

•ber  to  have  met  in  regard  to  choice  of  soil.  We  give  them 
entire  for  the  benefit  of  our  readers  :  — 

•"  Heaths,  like  the  azalea  and  rhododendron,  make  very 
small,  hair-like  roots ;  and  where  these  latter  are  growing 
naturally,  will  be  found  a  good  locality  to  collect  soil  for 
the  artificial  cultivation  of  the  former.  This  soil  will  be 
found  full  of  decaying  organic  matter.  Take  up  a  handful 
of  it,  and  you  will  find  a  mass  of  thickly  grown,  fine  fibre, 
feeling  like  a  bunch  of  moss.  Examine  it,  and  you  will  see 
that  it  is  chiefly  composed  of  a  black  debris  of  leaves  and 
sticks,  thickly  interwoven  with  the  roots  of  surrounding 
vegetation.  An  inch  or  two  only  of  the  surface  shoulil 
be  taken ;  all  below  that  is  generally  inferior,  the  organic 
matter  in  it  being  too  much  decomposed. 

"  Where  this  deposit  cannot  be  obtained,  a  good  substitute 
will  be  found  in  turves  from  old  pasture,  cut  thin,  collected 
in  dry  weather,  and  piled  in  a  heap  two  or  three  months 
before  using,  so  that  the  vegetation  in  it  may  be  slightly 
decomposed.  Both  in  its  chemical  and  mechanical  prop- 
erties such  a  soil  is  nearly  all  that  can  be  wished.  In  pre- 
paring it,  however,  it  is  better  to  chop  it  up  rather  fine, 
securing  a  proper  mechanical  texture  by  the  admixture  of 
coarse  sand,  broken  charcoal,  or  even  a  few  pebbles,  OT 


PLANTS  FOB  WINDOW  GARDENING.        31 

broken  potsherds  may  be  used  to  advantage  for  keeping  the 
soil  open,  to  allow  free  admission  for  atmospheric  gases ; 
an  essential  point  to  be  kept  in  view  in  the  cultivation  of 
all  plants,  more  particularly  those  in  pots,  for  they  are  then 

entirely   dependent  on  the  cultivator  for  those  conditions 

% 
which  they  receive  in  their  natural  habitats. 

"  Such  a  soil  as  here  recommended,  kept  sufficiently  open 
by  any  of  the  above  mentioned  ingredients,  is  easily  pene- 
trated by  air,  thereby  increasing  its  temperature  and  facili- 
tating the  decomposition  of  organic  matter,  daring  which 
process  various  healthful  gases  are  supplied  to  plants." 

In  either  of  the  kinds  of  soil  prepared  as  directed,  heaths 
will  do  well.  The  great  point  to  obtain  is  a  loose,  porous 
soil;  for  this  reason  the  soil  should  always  be  broken, 
never  sifted. 

Another  requisite  in  heath  culture,  is  good  drainage ; 
this  cannot  be  too  strongly  insisted  upon ;  with  the  best  of 
soil,  the  plants  will  suffer  if  water  stagnates  around  the 
roots. 

Fill  the  pot  one  fourth  full  of  crocks,  and  be  careful  the 
hole  at  the  bottom  is  kept  open.  Never  place  the  pot  in  a 
saucer  or  vessel  of  any  kind,  for  all  water  not  absorbed 
must  be  allowed  to  drain  off.  The  pots  should  be  clear 


32        PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

and  free  from  mould  or  dirt ;  cleanliness  is  a  point  too  much 
neglected. 

In  some  sections  of  our  country,  much  difficulty  is  expe- 
rienced in  growing  heaths  ;  the  water  containing  salts  in 
solution  which  are  fatal  to  the  plant,  and  we  know  nursery- 
men who  have  altogether  abandoned  their  culture.  This 
seems  the  case  in  limestone  countries,  and  we  have  noticed 
that  heaths,  of  the  tender  varieties,  when  watered  with 
"  hard  "  water,  grew  sickly  and  soon  died.  The  best  plan 
is  to  use  only  rain  water,  and  pursuing  this  course  no  diffi- 
culty will  be  experienced.  It  is  a  curious  fact,  that  in  its 
native  countries,  the  heath  is  never  found  in  a  soil  of  which 
the  substratum  is  lime  or  chalk.  In  England,  heaths  are 
always  grown  apart  from  other  plants ;  with  us  they  occupy 
the  coolest  part  of  the  green-house.  As  a  general  rule, 
nothing  short  of  frost  is  too  cold  for  them,  and  some 
varieties  will  bear  several  degrees  of  frost  without  injury. 
In  the  wild  state,  they  are  distributed  over  a  vast  range  of 
country,  which  accounts  for  the  different  temperatures  the 
varieties  require  ;  the  degree  of  cold  adapted  to  each,  must 
be  the  lesson  of  experience.  Among  gardeners,  heaths  are 
termed  hard- wooded  or  soft- wooded ;  the  former  make  only 
a  chort  growth  each  season,  for  example,  E.  Cavendishii; 


PLANTS   FOB   WINDOW   GARDENING.  38 

the  latter  grow  a  foot  or  more,  as  E.  Caffra  and  others. 
The  two  kinds  require  somewhat  different  treatment ;  the 
former  being  far  more  difficult  to  manage ;  they  are,  how- 
ever, far  more  beautiful,  some  even  dazzling  from  the  bril- 
liancy of  their  flowers.  Heaths  require  plenty  of  ah*.  If 
crowded,  they  are  subject  to  mildew;  a  disease  much  more 
easily  prevented  than  cured.  Air  should  be  given,  if  pos- 
sible, every  day ;  but  cold  draughts  should  be  avoided  dur- 
ing the  growing  season. 

Though  heaths  are  often  lost  during  the  winter  by  grow- 
ing them  in  too  high  a  temperature,  yet  the  greatest  mor- 
tality is  caused  by  the  heat  of  summer.  With  many  it  i& 
the  custom  to  treat  the  plants  as  other  hard-wooded  plants ; 
to  turn  them  out  doors  during  the  summer,  under  the  shade 
of  some  tree.  The  consequence  is,  the  pots  are  often 
exposed  to  the  hot  sun,  the  tender  fibrous  roots  become 
parched,  and  the  plant  dies ;  or  else  the  drip  from  the  trees 
rots  the  roots,  producing  the  like  result.  Our  experience 
has  shown  the  best  plan  to  be  a  different  treatment  for  the 
plants  according  to  their  age.  Early  in  June,  all  young 
plants  should  be  planted  out  in  a  bed  with  a  northern 
exposure;  there  they  will  grow  luxuriantly  during  the  sum- 
mer. Before  the  September  frosts,  re-pot  them  with  care, 
3 


34  PLANTS   FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

and  winter  as  old  plants.  We  have  found  a  large  bed  pre- 
pared for  rhododendrons  and  azaleas  the  most  favorable 
place.  It  is  sheltered  from  the  south  by  a  belt  of  white 
pines.  The  soil  of  prepared  peat  is  suited  to  the  wants  of 
the  plant,  while  the  large  foliage  of  the  rhododendrons 
keeps  the  soil  moist  by  preventing  rapid  evaporation.  Pur 
the  older  plants,  we  choose  a  shaded  spot,  and  prepare  a 
bed  of  coal  ashes ;  slope  the  bottom  to  carry  off  superfluous 
moisture  ;  plunge  the  pots  in  the  bed  of  ashes,  and  if  the  bed 
is  exposed  to  the  sun  for  any  length  of  time,  shade  by  an 
awning.  Be  careful  not  to  crowd  the  planes  ;  a  free  circu- 
lation of  air  is  essential.  By  this  mode,  the  pots  are  never 
exposed  to  the  rays  of  the  sun  ;  the  plants  receive  plenty  of 
light  without  being  burned,  and  by  syringing  at  evening, 
and  sprinkling  (not  pouring)  water  upon  the  pots  and  bed, 
a  sufficiency  of  moisture  is  secured.  Some  varieties  of  the 
soft-wooded  class,  such  as  Caffra  rubra  and  alba,  margari- 
tacea,  and  others,  do  best  planted  out  in  the  full  sunshine. 
The  growth  becomes  short  and  stout,  and  the  plants  are 
more  hardy  and  less  liable  to  injury.  By  this  course,  how- 
ever, all  beauty  of  foliage  is  lost,  for  the  plants  become  of  a 
rusty  brown  color,  which  never  disappears  till  the  leaves  fall. 
Re-potting  should  be  done  whenever  the  roots  become 


PLANTS   FOB  WINDOW  GARDENING.  35 

matted  or  collected  at  the  bottom  or  sides  of  the  pot; 
examine  to  see  if  they  are  healthy ;  if  so,  give  them  a 
larger  pot ;  if  not,  prune  off  these  which  are  dead,  remove 
the  old  soil,  and  pot  in  the  same  size,  or  smaller,  as  the 

case  may  require. 

', 
The  custom  with  gardeners  is  to  pot  heaths  in  the  spring, 

but  the  grower  must  be  guided  by  the  state  of  the  plant. 

Insects  give  but  little  trouble,  where  proper  regard  is 
paid  to  the  plants. 

Mealy-bug  is  sometimes  found ;  the  best  course  to  pur- 
sue, if  the  plant  is  badly  infested,  is  to  throw  it  away,  for 
it  is  almost  impossible  to  remove  the  insect ;  if  but  slightly 
affected,  pick  them  off,  and  wash  the  plant  well  with  warm 
soap-suds ;  whale  oil  soap  is  preferable.  The  same  rules 
apply  when  the  plants  are  troubled  with  black  or  brown 
scale.  Erica  arborea  is  particularly  subject  to  attacks  of 
the  former,  and  from  the  fine,  close  nature  of  its  foliage,  it 
is  very  difficult  to  clean. 

We  have  never  known  our  heaths  to  be  troubled  by  red 
spider  or  by  aphis. 

In  growing  ericas,  some  attention  must  be  paid  to  prun- 
ing, or  rather  to  pinching;  the  plants  should  never  be 
allowed  to  grow  tall  and  spindling ;  they  should  be  grown 


36  PLANTS    FOR   WINDOW   GARDENING. 

near  the  glass,  and,  by  frequent  turning,  prevented  from 
becoming  one-sided.  Some  varieties  are  of  symmetrical 
form  by  nature ;  others  require  much  care  to  control  the 
too  luxuriant  branches. 

Heaths  strike  freely  from  cuttings.  Take  the  tops  of  the 
young  shoots,  about  an  inch  in  length ;  prepare  a  pot  or 
pan  of  heath  soil ;  cover  this  with  silver  sand  to  the  depth 
of  half  an  inch ;  insert  the  cuttings  about  half  their  length, 
as  thickly  as  you  please ;  cover  them  with  a  glass,  and 
frequently  wipe  the  moisture  from  the  inner  surface  of  the 
glass ;  keep  them  slightly  moist,  and  shelter  from  the  direct 
rays  of  the  sun. 

When  rooted,  pot  off  the  cuttings  into  small  pots  filled 
with  heath  soil,  with  the  addition  of  a  little  more  sand  than 
is  used  for  the  old  plants ;  as  soon  as  the  season  permits, 
plant  them  out  to  make  growth.  In  re-potting  plants  or 
cuttings,  care  should  be  taken  never  to  sink  the  crown  of 
the  root  lower  than  it  was  before ;  rather  raise  than 
sink  it. 

There  is  no  plant  which  makes  a  greater  show,  or  proves 
more  attractive  as  a  specimen,  than  the  erica.  In  England, 
it  is  grown  in  the  greatest  perfection,  some  of  the  plants 
being  twelve  feet  high,  and  eight  feet  in  thickness.  Can  a 


PLANTS   FOB   WINDOW  GARDENING.  rt< 

more  superb  object  than  such  a  plant  be  imagined,  when  in 
full  bloom? 

From  over  five  hundred  varieties,  we  cannot  be  expected 
to  give  all  that  are  deserving  of  cultivation ;  as  before 
remarked,  none  are  destitute  of  beauty.  The  periods  of 
bloom  are  from  January  to  November ;  indeed,  we  may 
have  heaths  in  bloom  every  month  in  the  year.  The  fol- 
lowing list  contains  a  select  variety  in  colors  :  — 

White  or  Light-Flowered.  Arborea,  Margaritacea,  Grandinosa,  Bow- 
ieana,  Jasminiflora,  Conferta,  Vestita  alba,  Odorata,  Ventricosa,  Pellu- 
cida,  Wilmoriana,  Caffra  alba. 

Red  Flowers.    Gracilis,  Ignescens,  Mediterranea,  Caffra  rubra. 

Scarlet  or  Crimson.  Ardens,  Cerinthoides,  Hartnelli,  Splendens, 
Coccinea,  Vestita  fulgida,  Tricolor. 

Purple  Flowers.  Amoena,  Mammosa,  Melanthera  mutabilis,  Pro- 
pendens  tubiflora. 

Lilac.    Baccans,  Suavolens. 

Tettow.    Cavendishii,  Depressa,  Denticulata. 

Green-Flowered.    Gelida,   Viridiflora,  Viridis. 

For  window  culture,  the  varieties  succeeding  best  are 
Caffra  rubra  and  alba,  Margaritacea,  Arborea,  and  Medi- 
terranea. 

We  have  been  thus  diffuse  in  treating  of  this  plant, 
because  it  is  a  general  favorite,  yet  never  seen  in  good 
condition  in  the  parlor. 


38  PLANTS  FOR   WINDOW   GARDENING. 

The  plant  is  very  hardy,  yet  impatient  of  the  least  neg- 
lect. A  single  day's  omission  to  water,  or  a  drenching, 
with  poor  drainage,  will  kill  the  plant;  yet  it  will  lan- 
guish for  months,  and  all  your  care  will  fail  to  restore  it. 
If  the  hair-liks  roots  once  become  parched  or  sodden,  the 
plant  will  die. 

We  do  not  recommend  it  for  a  window  plant,  yet  its 
beauty  is  worth  all  the  care  required ;  and  will  not  some 
be  fired  by  ambition  to  make  the  heath  a  window  plant  ? 

THE    CYCLAMEN. 

This  pretty  flower  is  too  little  known.  It  is  a  native  of 
Europe  and  Asia,  some  varieties  being  very  abundant  in 
Switzerland  and  Italy,  and  is  to  be  found  in  almost  every 
green-house.  It  is  of  the  easiest  culture.  Pot  about  the 
latter  part  of  November,  in  a  rich  loam,  with  a  dash  of 
silver  sand ;  an  addition  of  about  a  spoonful  of  the  old  soot 
from  a  flue  will  increase  the  size  and  brilliancy  of  the 
flowers.  It  must  be  well  incorporated  with  the  soil.  Bits 
of  charcoal,  broken  fine,  serve  the  same  purpose.  Place 
the  crown  of  the  bulb  just  above  the  surface  of  the  soil. 
The  size  of  the  pot  must  be  determined  by  the  size  of  the 
bulb  ;  as  a  general  rule,  cyclamen  do  not  require  large  pots. 


PLANTS  FOB  WINDOW  GARDENING.  39 

Good  drainage  is  indispensable.  Keep  the  plants  cool  till 
the  leaves  are  well  grown,  always  keeping  them  near  the 
glass.  When  the  flower  buds  begin  to  rise  on  the  foot 
stalks,  remove  to  a  sunny  shelf,  where  they  will  soon 
show  bloom.  By  shading,  the  duration  of  the  flowers  is 
prolonged.  ^\\%cn  the  bloom  is  past,  gradually  withhold 
water ;  the  leaves  will  turn  yellow,  and  the  plants  should 
be  kept  dry,  in  a  state  of  rest,  all  summer.  Do  not  allow 
the  plants  to  ripen  seed  (which  they  do  freely)  unless  you 
desire  seedlings,  to  increase  your  stock.  The  seed  germi- 
nates easily,  sown  in  rich  loam,  and  seedlings  bloom  the 
third  year.  Some  find  difficulty  in  preventing  the  shrivel- 
ling of  the  bulbs  during  the  summer.  Our  best  cultivators, 
to  prevent  this,  bury  tho  ?:ulbs  during  the  summer  in  the 
open  border ;  take  them  up  about  the  middle  of  September, 
when  they  are  found  fresh,  plump,  and  in  good  condition 
for  a  start.  There  is  one  risk,  however,  in  this  method : 
mice  are  very  fond  of  the  bulbs,  and  sometimes  commit 
great  havoc.  There  is  shown  in  this  plant  a  curious  pro- 
vision of  Nature  :  «no  sooner  has  the  flower  faded,  than  the 
stem  begins  to  curl  up,  and  buries  the  seed  capsule  in  the 
ground,  at  the  root  of  the  plant ;  this  is  designed  to  pro- 
tect the  seed  from  birds,  and  to  sow  it  in  a  congenial  soil. 


40  PLANTS   FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

Good-sized,  blooming  bulbs  may  be  obtained  at  any 
green-house,  for  from  fifty  cents  to  one  dollar  each  for  the 
more  common  varieties.  This  bulb  is  particularly  adapted 
for  -window  culture,  and  will-  give  more  flowers,  with  less 
double,  and  occupying  less  space,  than  any  flower  we  are 
acquainted  with.  The  more  common  varieties  are  C.  Per- 
•sicum,  white,  tipped  with  rich,  rosy  purple ;  C.  Persicum 
allum,  -pure  white  ;  C.  punctatum,  resembling  Persicum. 
All  these  flower  from  January  to  March.  C.  Europceum, 
pinkish  purple ;  C.  Europceum  album,  pure  white ;  C. 
hederafolium,  very  large,  rosy  purple,  a  splendid  variety. 
All  these  bloom  from  October  to  January. 


Bright  gems  of  earth,  in  which  perchance  we  see 
What  Eden  was,  what  Paradise  may  be. 


CHAPTER     III. 


PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING. 


THE  GERANIUM.  THE  PELARGONIUM:  History.— Culture.  —  Soil.  —  Pot- 
ting. —  Winter  Treatment.  —  Varieties.  THE  VERBENA:  History.— 
Culture.  —  Cuttings.  —  Summer  Culture.  —  Potting  for  Winter.  —  Wa- 
tering.—Soil.— Seedlings.— Properties  of 'a  good  Verbena.  —  Window 
Culture.  —  Varieties.  THE  HELIOTROPE:  History.  — Culture.— Prun- 
ing.—Varieties.  THE  SAL  VIA,  OR  MEXICAN  SAGE  :  Summer  Culture. 

(41) 


42 


PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING. 


—Winter  Culture.  —  Varieties.  THE  TROP^EOLUM,  OR  NASTURTIUM: 
Varieties.  — Soil.  — Culture.  — Varieties  of  the  small  Nasturtium.— Win- 
dow Culture. 

THE    GERANIUM. 

NDER  this  head,  we  propose  to  treat 
of  the  plants  usually  known,  in  com- 
mon parlance,  as  Geraniums,  includ- 
ing both  those  horticulturally  and 
botanically  known  as  such,  and  Pelar- 
goniums. Between  these  there  are 
many  minute  and  fanciful  distinc- 
tions, which  are  only  interesting  to 
botanists,  and  need  not  concern  the 
amateur.  The  true  geraniums  are 
herbaceous.  For  window  gardening,  their  treatment  must 
be  the  same. 

For  the  pelargoniums,  we  are  chiefly  indebted  to  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope ;  the  geranium  is  found,  in  some  of  its 
varieties,  in  Asia,  Europe,  and  America ;  two  of  the  family, 
our  "  wild  geraniums,"  being  familiar  to  us  all  as  among 
the  wild  flowers  of  spring. 

The  scarlet,  or  horse-shoe  geranium,  so  called  from  the 
color  of  its  flowers,  and  the  dark  marking  of  its  leaves,  is 
a  very  common  and  popular  window  plant.     The  rose,  oak, 
8* 


PLANTS    FOR   WINDOW  GARDENING.  43 

and  nutmeg  geraniums  are  commonly  grown  for  their  fra- 
grant leaves,  and  for  their  hardiness,  as  they  can  endure 
more  hard  usage  than  most  plants. 

The  general  fault  in  geranium  culture  is,  crowding.  The 
plants  need  light  and  air  on  all  sides,  and  unless  this  is 
afforded  they  soon  become  one-sided,  long-drawn,  and  strag- 
gling, with  but  few  leaves,  and  these  in  a  tuft  at  the  end. 
The  blossoms  are  small  and  few,  and  the  whole  plant  pre- 
sents a  picture  of  vegetation  under  difficulties. 

The  fine  varieties  of  pelargonium,  called  "  Fancies "  by 
florists,  it  is  useless  to  attempt  to  grow  to  any  perfection  in 
the  house.  They  need  constant  care ;  and  the  rules  for 
growing  them  as  specimens,  laid  down  by  English  florists, 
are  sufficiently  confusing  and  contradictory  to  involve  the 
amateur  in  a  maze  of  difficulty. 

Light,  air,  and  cleanliness  are  the  three  primary  rules  for 
growing  geraniums.  The  horse-shoe  and  high-scented  vari- 
eties are  not  troubled  by  insects.  The  pelargoniums  (large- 
flowered  geraniums),  require  constant  attention  to  keep 
them  free  from  the  green  fly,  which  increases  upon  them 
with  wonderful  rapidity.  If  the  weather  is  warm,  and  the 
plants  at  all  affect?d  by  the  fly,  they  should  be  smoked  once 
in  ten  days,  and  frequently  syringed.  Surely  the  beauty  of 


44  PLANTS    FOR   WINDOW   GARDENING. 

the  flowers  will  compensate  for  any  trouble.  To  prevent 
"  drawing,"  that  is,  the  growing  of  the  plants  towards  the 
Hght,  all  geraniums  should  be  frequently  turned,  which  will 

•give  a  well-proportioned  plant.  If  the  plants  grow  too  tall, 
pinch  out  the  top ;  all  the  axillary  buds  will  then  break 
into  latural  branches.  Again,  if  the  side  branches  become 
too  closi ,  prune  them  out  fjarlessly.  The  geranium  breaks 

.easily,  and  you  need  never  be  afraid  of  killing  the  plant, 
even  if  you  prune  it  down  to  a  bare  stump. 

SOIL. 

Pelargoniums  and  geraniums  require  a  strong  soil ;  that 
is,  good  sound  loam,  such  as  will  grow  melons.  The  top 
of  a  pasture  will  answer  well.  Let  it  be  carted  home  and 
laid  up  in  a  long  ridge,  so  as  to  expose  as  large  a  surface  to 
.the  air  as  possible.  Keep  it  clear  of  weeds,  and  let  it  be 
turned  over  every  little  while.  To  two  parts  of  this  loam, 
add  one  part  of  two-year-old  cow  dung,  well  turned  over. 
Old  hot-bed  dung  will  do  nearly,  but  not  quite  as  well. 
Then  add  about  one  part  of  river  sand  and  bits  of  charcoal*, 
mixed.  Let  all  these  ingredients  be  kept  in  separate  heaps 
till  wanted  for  potting,  then  mix  them  in  the  above  propor- 
tions, and  use  them  moderately  dry.  This  compost  should 


PLANTS   FOB   WINDOW  GARDENING.  45 

be  used  to  bloom  and  grow  the  plants  in.  For  the  winter 
season,  use  a  small  quantity  of  leaf  mould  instead  of  dung. 
Fresh  soil  is  always  to  be  preferred,  for  old  soil  is  apt  to. 
become  cloddy  and  sour. 

POTTIXG. 

All  being  ready,  put  the  drainage  in  a  suitable  sized  pot. 
Place  first  a  suitable  crock,  or  a  large  oyster  shell  over  the- 
hole ;  then  lay  a  few  large  crocks  upon  that,  and  smaller; 
upon  those,  so  that  the  drainage  may  occupy  about  three 
fourths  of  an  inch.  Place  a  thin  layer  of  moss  upon  ths 
drainage,  and  upon  that  a  sprinkling  of  soot  or  charcoal 
dust;  after  that  a  thin  layer  of  the  rougher  parts  of  the 
compost,  and  finally  a  layer  of  soil.  Then  turn  the  plant 
out  of  the  old  pot,  pick  out  the  old  drainage,  and  loosen 
part  of  the  old  roots,  spreading  them  over  the  new  soil  as 
much  as  possible.  Then  see  that  the  collar  of  the  roots  is 
just  below  the  rim  of  the  pot,  and  fill  in  around  the  ball 
with  the  fresh  soil,  pressing  it  down  gently  as  it  is  put  in. 
When  the  pot  is  full,  give  it  a  smart  stroke  or  two  upon  the 
bench  to  settle  the  soil;  level  it  neatly,  leaving  it  about 
half  an  inch  below  the  rim  of  the  pot.  This  finishes  the 
potting.  Then  give  a  good  watering  of  tepid  water. 


46 


PLANTS   FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING. 


For  four  or  five  weeks,  while  new  roots  are  running  into 
the  fresh  soil,  they  will  not  need  a  large  supply  of  water ; 
but  when  the  roots  reach  the  sides  of  the  pots,  and  the 
leaves  and  shoots  are  advancing  in  growth,  then  water  will 
be  required  in  abundance. 

They  should  never  be  allowed  to  flag. 

After  a  hot,  sunny  day,  let  the  plants,  in  addition  to  the 
water  at  the  roots,  have  a  gentle  syringing.  Exercise  dis- 
cretion, however,  on  this  point. 

The  geranium  is  a  spring  and  summer  blooming  plant. 
It  is  very  difficult  to  obtain  a  flower  from  December  to 
April ;  therefore,  during  the  winter  it  should  be  kept  cool, 
and  moderately  dry. 

About  the  first  of  February  re-pot  the  plants,  give  more 
heat,  sun,  and  water,  and  your  plants  will  bloom  profusely 
in  May. 

The  varieties  grown  only  for  their  leaves  may  have  more 
generous  culture  during  the  winter  months. 

VARIETIES. 

Ivy-leaved  geranium  (P.  lateripes],  is  a  pretty  trailing 
species,  with  ivy-shaped  leaves  and  purple  flowers  in  the 
summer.  There  is  also  a  variety  with  white  flowers.  It  is 


PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING.        47 

a  pretty   window  plant,   and  always  does  well.     It  needs 
plenty  of  light,  sun,  and  generous  culture. 

The  varieties  of  horse-shoe  geraniums  (P.  zonale  hybrids}^ 
are  all  good  window  flowers,  and  will  often  bloom  in  winter. 
The  following  are  the  best  old  varieties :  — 

Scarlet.    Dazzle,   Tom  Thumb,  Defiance. 

Cerise.     Cerise  unique. 

Pink.     Rosa  mundi. 

White.    Boule  de  Neige,  Lady  Turner. 

Variegated  Leaved.    Flower  of  the  Day,  Golden  Chain,  Alma,  Bijou. 

These  latter  varieties  need  a  green-house  to  develop  the 
rich  colors  of  the  foliage,  yet  they  do  well  as  bedding  plants 
in  the  summer. 

P.  graveolens  is  the  common  rose  geranium. 

THE    VERBENA. 

There  are  few  plants  which  lend  more  beauty  to  the 
flower  garden  in  summer,  or  enliven  the  green-house  in 
the  winter  and  early  spring  months  in  a  greater  degree,  than 
the  verbena.  From  the  variety  of  colors,  the  rapidity  of 
propagation,  the  little  care  needed  to  bloom  the  plant  in  per- 
fection, and  the  abundance  of  blossoms,  it  is,  and  always 
must  remain,  a  universal  favorite. 


48        PLANTS  FOB  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

In  addition  f  to  these  advantages,  the  facility  with  which 
new  varieties  are  raised  from  seed,  render  it  a  favorite  with 
the  amateur;  and  in  no  collection  do  we  fail  to  find  the 
verbena,  in  some  of  its  many  varieties. 

It  is  a  difficult  task  to  prescribe  the  culture  of  a  plant  so 
well  known,  and  which  will  grow  and  nourish  under  such  a 
variety  of  circumstances,  and  in  such  different  situations. 
As  every  one  has  grown  verbenas,  each  has  his  own  peculiar 
mode  of  treatment,  if,  indeed,  a  flower  req  living  so  little 
care  can  be  said  to  have  peculiar  treatment. 

In  writing  of  a  plant,  from  which  seedlings  arc  produced 
with  such  ease,  and  which  sports  into  such  an  infinite 
variety  of  colors  and  shades,  we  cannot  be  too  careful  in 
expressing  a  decided  opinion.  Every  year  new  seedlings 
are  "  brought  out,"  and  latterly  the  varieties  have  so  mul- 
tiplied that  it  is  very  difficult  to  choose  those  really  worthy 
of  cultivation  :  the  favorite  of  this  spring  may,  after  a  year's 
trial,  be  cast  aside  as  worthless,  for  it  may  not  be  found 
worthy  of  general  cultivation,  or  better  varieties  may  have 
been  originated. 

Our  verbena  was  introduced  into  England  from  Buenos 
Ayres,  where  it  is  indigenous,  by  Mr.  Hugh  Gumming,  an 
ardent  lover  of  nature,  about  the  year  1825. 


PLANTS   FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING.  40 

The  first,  and  for  a  long  time  the  only  variety  cultivated, 
was  Verbena  melindres,  or  chamcedrifolia ;  but  it  now 
appears  lost  among  the  new  and  superior  kinds  which  have 
been  raised  from  seed.  In  form,  it  has  been  repeatedly 

excelled,  but  its  creeping  habit  and  abundance  of   bloom 

% 
must    always    recommend  it,    though  we  doubt   if  at  the 

present  time  it  can  be  obtained  at  any  of  our  green-houses, 
and  probably  few  of  our  younger  cultivators  have  ever  seen 
this  once  popular  variety.  The  color  is  scarlet,  and  though 
perhaps  equalled,  can  never  be  excelled.  Many  other 
earlier  varieties  might  be  mentioned,  but,  although  interest- 
ing, it  would  too  much  extend  the  limits  of  this  article. 

Verbena  multifida,  with  lilac  purple  flowers,  was  intro- 
duced from  Peru  ;  Verbena  Tweediana,  with  rose  crimson 
flowers,  from  Brazil;  and  from  these,  and  a  few  other 
varieties  and  seedlings,  have  sprung  all  the  numerous 
varieties,  many  hundred  in  number,  which  may  be  found  in 
extensive  collections.  The  credit  of  introducing  this  plant 
into  the  United  States  belongs  to  Robert  Buist,  of  Phila- 
delphia. About  the  year  1805,  from  seed  received  from 
Buenos  Apes,  he  raised  the  first  white,  pink,  and  crimson 
verbenas.  The  plant  soon  became  generally  known,  anil 

was  every  where  a  favorite ;   in  the  floral  world  it  caused 
4 


50       PLANTS  FOB  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

quite  an  excitement,  and  the  original  kinds  were  soon  sur- 
passed, in  every  respect,  by  newer  seminal  varieties. 

The  culture  of  the  verbena  is  very  simple.  The  plants 
\Aill  bloom  with  very  little  care,  but  to  grow  them  in  peife  ,- 
tion  requires  attention ;  of  thousands  of  plants  of  any  size, 
scarcely  one  is  a  fine  specimen.  Let  us,  beginning  in  early 
spring,  trace  the  plant,  as  generally  grown,  and  then  see 
how  much  a  little  care  might  increase  its  beauty. 

About  the  first  of  February,  cuttings  of  the  young  shoots 
are  taken  from  old  plants :  in  a  sandy  loam,  a  few  weeks, 
and  sometimes  a  few  days,  will  suffice  to  root  them ;  they 
are  then  potted  off  into  thumb  pots,  and,  if  placed  near  the 
glass,  will  soon  show  a  terminal  flower.  As  soon  as  the 
season  is  sufficiently  advanced,  these  young  plants  are  bed- 
ded out,  and,  in  favorable  seasons,  soon  form  a  conspicuous 
feature  in  the  flower  garden,  continuing  to  bloom  till  long 
after  the  early  frosts.  About  the  first  or  middle  of  Septem- 
ber, the  gardener  begins  to  re-pot  his  plants  for  winter,  and 
the  common  practice  is  to  take  a  runner,  which  has  rooted 
well  at  a  joint,  and,  afteY  suitable  pruning,  to  pot  it  for 
winter  blooming  and  propagation.  Others,  a£im,  take  up 
the  old  roots,  while  others,  by  sinking  pots  in  their  verbena 
bed,  about  midsummer,  allowed  the  runners  to  root  directly 


PLANTS    FOB   WINDOW  GARDENING.  51 

in  the  pots ;  the  pots  being  taken  up,  and  the  connection 
with  the  mother  plant  cut,  the  young  plant  receives  no 
injury  or  check.  But  this  mode  is  very  objectionable,  for 
two  icasons :  first,  the  loam  in  the  pots  is  apt  to  become 
sour  and  sodden;  and  again,  earthworms  often  enter  the 

£ 

pots,  an:l  prove  injurious  during  the  winter.  The  plants 
are  housed,  and,  for  a  long  time,  produce  no  flowers,  and 
are  any  thing  but  ornamental.  Soon  after  the  new  year, 
they  begin  to  grow  vigorously,  but  are  allowed  to  trail  care- 
lessly over  the  staging,  or  droop  from  some  hanging  shelf. 
No  care  or  attention  is  bestowed  upon  them,  except  to  give 
the  daily  supply  of  water. 

The  days  grow  towards  spring.  Cuttings  are  again  taken 
off ;  the  same  process  is  repeated  year  after  year  ;  and  thus 
one  of  our  loveliest  flowers,  which,  with  a  little  care,  might 
be  one  of  the  greatest  attractions  and  ornaments  of  our 
green-houses,  is  never  seen  in  perfection,  except  in  the 
garden. 

That  this  is  the  fact,  is  to  be  deplored ;  yet  the  remedy 
is  simple.  By  beginning  about  midsummer,  we  may  have 
verbenas  in  bloom  as  well  during  the  winter  as  the  spring 
months.  About  the  first  of  August,  or  earlier,  cuttinga 
ibould  be  taken  from  desirable  varieties.  In  a  fortnight 


52  PLANTS    FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

they  will  be  ready  to  transplant.  Pot  them  in  thumb  pots, 
and  re-pot  as  soon  as  the  roots  touch  the  sides  of  the  pot. 
Keep  them  in  vigorous  growth  by  affording  plenty  of  light 
and  air,  being  careful  they  never  suffer  from  want  of  water. 
Pinch  off  the  leading  shoots,  to  cause  all  axillary  buds  to 
break,  and  in  no  case  allow  them  to  bloom.  Train  the 
plant  in  any  form  desired,  but  be  careful  not  to  permit  it  to 
grow  too  straggling.  When  other  plants  are  housed, 
remove  your  verbenas  to  some  warm  shelf,  where  they  may 
have  the  morning  sun,  and  on  every  favorable  day  give 
plenty  of  air,  and  fumigate  well  to  destroy  green  aphis. 
Your  plants  will  soon  be  in  luxuriant  bloom,  long  before 
those  potted  in  the  common  way  have  shown  a  bud,  and 
will  continue  to  afford  an  abundance  of  flowers  until  late  in 
the  spring.  To  grow  verbenas  well  in  the  house  in  summer 
is  far  easier.  They  may  be  bloomed  in  pots  of  any  size, 
and  trained  in  almost  any  form,  the  only  requisites  being 
plenty  of  light  and  air,  careful  pruning,  and  means  to 
destroy  aphis  and  keep  off  mildew. 

One  great  fault  in  growing  verbenas  is  the  practice  of 
watering  too  copiously.  The  plant,  as  originally  found, 
grows  on  dry  hills ;  and  damp  not  only  produces  mildew, 
but  rots  the  roots,  and  thus  destroys  or  produces  disease  in 
the  plant. 


PLANTS   F03   WINDOW  GARDENING.  53 

The  proper  soil  for  verbenas,  is  two  parts  of  loam,  two  of 
leaf  mould,  with  an  admixture  of  sand,  and  in  this  we  havo 
found  them  grow  and  bloom  luxuriantly.  , 

Many  verbenas,  which  for  green-house  blooming  are 
unsurpassed,  are  worthless  for  bedding  purposes ;  the  petal 
of  the  flower  b&ng  too  thin,  or  the  color  fading  or  changing. 
Again,  some  bloom  well  in  winter,  others  far  better  in  sum- 
mer ;  some  form  large  masses  and  flower  well,  others  are  of 
rambling  growth  and  poor  bloomers ;  some  of  creeping, 
others  of  more  upright  habit ;  while  a  few  possess  every 
desirable  quality ;  and  in  making  a  selection,  all  these  prop- 
erties are  to  be  considered. 

We  have  said  that  seedlings  were  produced  with  great 
ease.  The  verbena  seeds  well  where  the  plants  have  not 
been  too  long  propagated  by  cuttings.  A  long-continued 
propagation  by  cuttings  seems  to  diminish  the  power  of  the 
plants  to  produce  seed,  and,  as  a  general  rule,  the  further 
removed  a  plant  is  from  a  seedling,  the  less  the  chance  of 
its  perfecting  good  seed.  The  seeds  may  be  sown  in  a  hot- 
bed or  green-house,  early  in  spring,  and  the  plants,  when 
about  an  inch  and  a  half  high,  pricked  out  in  the  border ; 
it  is  a  good  plan  to  pinch  out  the  leading  shoot,  as  thus  the 
plants  branch  and  become  stronger;  the  plants  grow 
rapidly,  and  soon  show  bloom. 


54        PLANTS  FOB  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

But  to  raise  a  seedling  is  one  thing,  to  raise  a  fine  seed- 
ling, a  far  different.  Of  many  hundred  raised  in  the  course 
of  the  last  few  years,  by  the  writer,  not  more  than  half  a 
dozen  have  been  worthy  of  preservation,  and  only  one  (and 
that  produced  by  chance)  really  a  first-class  flower. 

In  raising  seed,  much  may  be  done  to  insure  its  quality 
by  planting  fine  varieties  together,  and  allowing  them  to 
intertwine,  then  gathering  the  seed  from  these  plants.  No 
rule  can  be  laid  down  to  obtain  any  desired  color,  for  the 
seedlings  sport  infinitely.  We  can  only  approximate 
towards  definite  results ;  thus,  if  we  plant  Annie  (white) 
and  Robinson's  Defiance  (red)  together,  the  seedling  will  be 
likely  to  be  pink. 

The  flowers  of  the  verbena  are  of  every  color  and  shade, 
except  light  blue,  which  color  has  never  been  obtained.  A 
good  yellow  verbena  has  not  yet  been  produced.  There  is 
a  miserable  variety,  with  a  small  truss  of  dirty  yellow 
flowers.  The  writer,  some  years  since,  by  a  curious  process 
of  watering  and  fertilization  with  a  white  verbena,  obtained 
a  seedling,  which  proved,  on  blooming,  to  be  of  a  light  straw 
color ;  the  plant  was  weak  and  sickly,  and  died  before  cut- 
tings could  be  taken.  Since  that  time  he  has  tried  the 
experiment  often,  but  never  with  any  successful  result. 


PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING.        55 

The  qualities  of  a  first-class  verbena,  as  laid  down  by 
florists,  are  :  roundness  of  flower,  without  indenture,  notch, 
or  serrature ;  petals  thick,  flat,  bright  and  smooth ;  the 
plant  should  be  compact,  with  short,  strong  joints,  either 
distinctly  of  a  shrubby  habit,  or  a  close,  ground  creeper  or 
climber  ;  the  trusses  of  bloom,  compact,  standing  out  from 
the  foliage,  the  flowers  meeting,  but  not  crowding  each 
other;  the  foliage  should  be  short,  broad,  bright,  and 
enough  to  hide  the  stalk ;  in  the  eyed  and  striped  varieties, 
the  colors  should  be  well  defined  and  lasting,  never  ronning 
into  each  other,  or  changing  in  the  sun. 

As  a  window  plant,  there  is  nothing  that  will  give  more 
bloom  than  a  verbena.  Let  it  be  trained  on  a  trellis,  and 
give  it  all  the  sun  possible ;  the  more  sun,  the  more  bloom. 
Pinch  the  shoots,  to  prevent  its  becoming  too  rambling,  and 
give  air  enough,  and  your  work  is  done. 

The  production  of  seedlings,  as  above  directed,  is  a  very 
pretty  amusement,  and  very  simple.  Seedlings  will  bloom 
in  three  months,  from  the  seed. 

Verbenas  may  be  grown  to  advantage  in  the  garden, 
either  in  masses,  as  single  plants,  or  upon  rock-work  ;  many 
pretty  effects  may  be  produced  by  a  careful  arrangement  of 


56        PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

colors  ;  they  are  also  well  adapted  for  hanging  pots  and  for 
vases,  in  which  they  will  bloom  profusely- 

There  is  no  flower  which,  if  properly  grown,  will  better 
repay  the  care  required,  and  none  which  will  show  so  well 
with  but  little  attention,  and  we  trust  that  these  few 
remarks  may  lead  to  a  more  careful  cultivation  of  this  beau- 
tiM  plant. 

THE    HELIOTROPE. 

This  plant  is  always  admired  for  its  fragrance,  and  will 
ever  be  a  favorite  for  window  culture. 

It  is  a  native  of  Peru,  and  has  been  in  our  gardens  since 
the  year  1757. 

The  details  of  culture  are  similar  to  those  prescribed  for 
the  verbena ;  the  soil  should  be  strong  loam,  with  a  little 
eand  and  manure. 

The  heliotrope  is  seldom  grown  as  well  as  it  should  be. 
It  should  have  frequent  re-pottings,  and  be  allowed  to  grow 
large.  We  have  seen  them  in  parlors,  in  large  tabs  on 
wheels,  and  eight  feet  high.  Such  plants  are  in  themselves 
bouquets  of  beauty,  being  always  covered  with  flowers. 
Train  the  main  stems  of  the  plant  to  a  trellis,  and  let  the 
branches  droop  naturally,  and  as  they  will  gracefully.  The 


PLANTS  FOB  WINDOW  GARDENING.        57 

plant  bears  the  knife  well,  and  breaks  freely,  so  it  can  be 
trained  into  any  shape. 

The  common  variety  is  H.  corymlosum,  then  the  oldest, 
H.  Peruvianum ;  H.  Volterianum  is  a  fine  dark  variety, 
but  not  so  strong  growing.  * 

Florists'  catalogues  contain  many  varieties,  but  the  above 
are  the  best  for  general  culture. 

THE    SALVIA. 

This  plant  is  only  valuable  as  a  window  plant  in  summer 
and  early  autumn.  The  chief  variety  cultivated  is  the  Scarlet 
Mexican  Sage  (S.  splendens),  introduced  from  Mexico  about 
forty  years  ago.  It  is  a  rank  growing  shrub,  with  long, 
jointed  stalks,  crowned  with  rich,  scarlet  flowers.  The  best 
way  to  grow  it  is  to  set  tho  plant  in  rich  soil  in  the  garden 
in  spring.  It  will  grow  vigorously.  About  the  last  of 
September  pot  it  (it  transplants  easily),  shade  it  for  a  few 
days,  then  remove  it  to  a  sunny  window,  where  it  will 
delight  you  with  its  brilliant  blossoms  for  two  months. 
Then  keep  it  cool  until  spring,  and  repeat  the  operation 
until  the  plant  becomes  so  large  as  to  be  unmanageable ; 
then  spring  cuttings  must  be  taken  off  and  rooted. 


58  PLANTS   FOR   WINDOW   GARDENING. 

The  proper  soil  is,  three  parts  loam,  one  leaf  mould, 
one  manure,  with  a  sprinkling  of  sand. 

Salvia  patens  is  an  exquisite  blue  flowered  variety.  It 
blooms  well  in  the  garden  in  summer,  and  the  fleshy  roots 
may  be  preserved  like  a  dahlia  through  the  winter. 

There  are  many  other  fine  varieties. 

THE    TROP^EOLUM. 

This  flower,  from  its  earliest  discovery  and  introduction, 
has  been  a  popular  favorite.  As  year  by  year  newer  varieties 
have  been  discovered,  or  finer  seedlings  raised  from  old 
favorites,  it  has  steadily  advanced  in  favor,  till  now,  the 
rich  man's  choicest  green-house  and  the  poor  man's  garden 
alike  boast  some  of  the  varieties  of  this  beautiful  plant.  In 
the  limits  of  a  short  article,  like  the  present,  it  will  be 
impossible,  of  course,  to  give  a  detailed  description,  or  even 
to  mention  all  the  varieties  ;  many  are  only  desirable  in  a 
collection,  being  of  inferior  beauty ;  while  others  are  rare, 
or  of  difficult  culture,  and  therefore  found  only  in  the  green- 
houses of  amateurs. 

The  different  varieties  of  tropaaolum  divide  themselves 
into  three  distinct  classes.  First,  those  with  bulbous,  or 
rather  tuberous  roots,  such  as  Trojjceolum  azureum  and 


PLANTS   FOR   WINDOW   GARDENING.  59 

others.  Second,  those  with  large,  round  leaves,  and  large 
showy,  often  coarse,  flowers,  as  the  various  varieties  of  Tro- 
pceolum  majus.  Third,  those  with  small,  delicate,  regu- 
larly-formed flowers,  with  smaller  leaves,  and  more  of  climb- 
ing rather  than  trailing  habit,  such  as  T.  Lobbianum. 
We  are  aware  that  this  division  is  imperfect;  that  some 
varieties  partake  of  the  characteristics  of  more  than  one 
class,  and  that  others  are  with  difficulty  included  in  any  of 
the  three  ;  and  to  any  one  acquainted  with  all  the  different 
varieties,  the  difficulty  of  classification  will  be  at  once 
apparent.  We  shall,  therefore,  only  attempt  this  general 
division  ;  leaving  a  particular  description  to  be  given  when 
we  treat  of  each  variety.  The  soil  to  be  used  in  the  culture 
of  the  tropaeolum  is,  for  the  bulbous  varieties,  leaf-mould 
and  peat,  with  an  admixture  of  fine  sand ;  for  the  other 
classes,  an  addition  of  more  sand  is  to  be  advised,  as  care 
must  be  taken  not  to  enrich  the  soil  too  highly,  for  in  a  rich 
soil,  with  plenty  of  room  to  develop  the  roots,  the  plants  are 
apt  to  run  all  to  leaves.  This  may  be  prevented  in  two 
ways,  either  by  giving  a  poor  soil,  or  by  allowing  the  roots 
to  become  "  pot-bound,"  and  nourishing  the  plant  by  slight 
waterings  of  liquid  manure  ;  they  generally  fail  to  give 
satisfaction  if  the  soil  is  close,  heavy,  and  binding.  All 


60        PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

the  varieties,  we  believe,  are  readily  propagated  by  cuttings, 
and  many  produce  seed  in  abundance.  Some  succeed  better 
if  allowed  to  trail  on  the  ground ;  others  are  so  delicate  as 
to  need  constant  attention  and  careful  training.  Some  are 
hardy  in  England,  though  to  our  knowledge  none  have  ever 
been  able  to  survive  our  severe  winters  in  the  open  ground, 
or  protected  in  frames.  All  the  varieties  are  of  the  most 
rapid  growth,  and  are  mostly  free  flowerers ;  none  are  desti- 
tute of  some  beauty,  while  the  greater  number  are  remark- 
able for  the  combinations  of  dazzling  colors  which  they 
afford.  The  prevailing  color  is  yellow  in  its  different 
shades ;  next,  red ;  then  dark ;  and  lastly,  a  most  extraor- 
dinary fact,  which  puzzled  the  botanists,  a  beautiful  blue. 
It  had  been  asserted  and  argued,  with  great  show  of  reason, 
that  a  flower,  of  which  all  the  known  varieties,  or  the  gen- 
eral types,  were  of  red,  yellow,  or  cognate  colors,  could,  by 
no  possibility,  be  found  related  to  a  plant  with  blue  flowers, 
or  could  there  be  a  blue  flowering  plant  in  the  same  class. 
The  discovery  of  a  blue  tropreolum,  in  1844,  completely 
refuted  this  theory.  In  the  treatment  of  tne  tropaeolum,  it 
is  essential  for  the  good  health  of  the  plants  that  they 
should  enjoy  plenty  of  light  and  air ;  without  this,  they  can- 
not fail  to  become  sickly  or  unsightly  from  faded  leaves  and 


PLANTS   FOB   WINDOW   GARDENING.  61 

email  flowers.  A  supply  of  water  should  be  given  with  the 
syringe,  overhead,  occasionally,  which  will  conduce  to  the 
vigor  of  the  plant,  and  destroy  the  red  spider,  which  some- 
times attacks  the  leaves.  The  plant,  in  all  its  varieties,  is 
remarkably  free  from  disease  or  insects ;  we  have  occasion- 
all)  had  the  more  delicate  varieties  troubled  by  green  fly,, 
and  by  mealy  bug,  but  very  little  care  will  prevent  this. 
The  chief  danger  seems  to  lie  in  the  decaying  of  the  roots 
by  over- watering  when  in  growth,  or  by  not  withholding 
water  when  they  are  in  a  state  of  rest.  These  remarks,  of 
course,  apply  only  to  the  bulbous  varieties.  Sometimes  we 
have  known  the  roots  of  the  summer-blooming  varieties  to 
be  attacked  by  the  root  aphis,  but  this  is  unfrequent.  The 
foliage  is  of  too  fiery  a  taste  to  be  subject  to  the  attacks  of 
insects. 

With  these  few  remarks  we  will  proceed  to  the  descrip- 
tion of  the  different  varieties,  noting  any  peculiarity  in  the 
habits  of  each,  or  any  peculiar  mode  of  culture  which  may 
be  best  adapted  to  its  nature. 

The  oldest  and  best  known  variety  is  TEOP^EOLUM  MAJFS, 
the  common  nasturtium  of  our  gardens  —  a  native  of  Peru,, 
but  very  early  introduced.  This  occurs  in  a  variety  of 
colors,  and  under  a  variety  of  names.  The  colors  are 


02        PLANTS  FOB  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

chiefly  red,  yellow,  very  dark,  and  all  the  intermediate 
shades;  or,  again,  red  upon  yellow  in  spots,  shadings, 
stripes,  or  bands,  or  yellow  upon  red  or  dark  ground. 
Scarce  two  flowers,  unless  self-colored,  will  be  found  alike, 
and  there  is  no  prettier  sight  than  a  flower  bed  filled  with 
this  variety,  the  various  colored  flowers  contrasting  finely 
with  the  large  round  leaves.  At  any  seed  store,  varieties 
may  be  obtained ;  and  by  a  little  care  in  planting  the  seeds, 
a  beautiful  effect  may  be  produced.  This  species  is  of  the 
easiest  culture,  and  will  grow  almost  without  care ;  it  is 
well  adapted  for  covering  rock-work,  or  any  unsightly  spot, 
producing  from  the  latter  part  of  June  until  killed  by  the 
frost,  a  constant  succession  of  brilliant  flowers  and  orna- 
mental foliage.  All  the  varieties  of  this  species  are  annual, 
and  are  propagated  either  by  seeds,  which  are  freely  pro- 
duced, or  by  cuttings  of  half-ripened  wood,  which  root  freely 
in  sand. 

TROP^EOLUM  MAJUS  ATROSANGUIXEUM  is  only  a  very  fine 
variety,  as  its  name  implies,  of  the  above.  It  was  intro- 
duced into  England  as  early  as  the  year  1G84.  The 
required  soil  is  light  and  rich ;  it  flowers  freely ;  increased 
by  seeds  and  cuttings. 

It  would   be   useless   to   attempt   a   description   of  the 


PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING.        63 

varieties  of  Tropceolum  majus ;  so  constantly  do  they 
change,  that  each  year,  an  newer  seedlings  are  produced, 
the  older  are  forgotten  and  lost.  All  are  well  worthy  of 
cultivation,  and  some  of  the  varieties  should  be  in  every 
garden.  We  have  seen  a  double  variety,  but  it  was  evi- 
dently a  mere  sport,  which  was  only  propagated  and  pre- 
served as  a  curiosity  in  a  collection ;  the  colors  were  con- 
fused, and  the  blossom  destitute  of  beauty. 

We  pass  now  to  the  varieties  of  Tropceolum  minus,  being 
those  comprised  in  our  last  class,  and  seemingly  only 
reduced  specimens  of  Tropceolum  majus.  We  have  seen  it 
stated  that  this  variety  was  introduced  before  Tropceolum 
majus,  but  we  believe  the  best  authorities  agree  on  the 
latter  being  the  oldest  known  variety.  Be  this  as  it  may, 
both  were  known  in  Europe  at  a  very  early  period.  The 
plants  of  Tropceolum  minus,  and  its  varieties,  may  always 
be  distinguished  from  those  of  Tropceolum  majus,  and  its 
varieties,  by  the  leaves ;  in  the  former,  the  nerves  of  the 
loaves  always  end  in  a  point,  which  is  never  the  case  with 
those  of  the  latter. 

TKOPJEOLUM  LOBBIANUM,  sometimes  called  T.  peltoplio- 
rum.  One  of  the  very  finest ;  first  collected  by  Mr.  Lobb, 
in  Columbia.  A  rampant  grower,  and  free  flowcrer  in  ths 


64  PLANTS    FOR   WINDOW    GARDENING. 

green-house;  color  of  flowers,  orange  scarlet.  The  tem- 
perature of  the  house  to  bloom  it  well,  should  be  kept 
about  fifty  degrees ;  a  slight  watering  of  liquid  manure  should 
occasionally  be  given.  It  does  not  succeed  well  with  us  in 
the  open  border ;  our  summers  are  too  short,  and  the  plants 
are  apt  to  be  nipped  by  the  frost  just  as  they  are  fully  set 
with  flower  buds  ;  it  strikes  freely  from  cuttings,  and  pro- 
duces seed  sparingly.  Most  of  our  fine,  new  varieties  are 
probably  hybrids  between  this  and  the  following. 

TKOPJEOLUM  PULCHERRIMUM.  Like  the  last,  a  rampant 
grower  ;  color  of  flowers,  bright  yellow,  with  starry  rays  of 
orange  scarlet  at  the  base  of  the  petal ;  a  free  flowerer  in 
the  green-house.  Culture  like  the  last. 

TROPJEOLTJM  SMITHII.  A  brilliant  red  variety,  a  native 
of  the  high  mountains  of  Columbia  ;  treat  as  T.  majus ; 
will  bloom  well  in  the  open  border. 

TROP^EOLUM  RANDII.  A  very  fine  seedling  of  Mr. 
Joseph  Breck's  ;  a  very  vigorous  grower  ;  the  writer  has,  in 
one  summer,  had  one  side  of  a  large  green-house  covered  by 
a  small  plant.  This  variety  has  the  desirable  property  of 
blooming  equally  well  as  a  border  plant  in  the  summer  and 
in  the  green-house  in  winter.  The  color  of  the  flower  id 
brilliant  yellow;  the  base  of  each  petal  marked  with  a 


PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING.        65 

round  black  spot ;  the  flowers  are  often  veined  with  purplish 
red,  sometimes  very  deeply,  and,  from  a  large  plant,  often 
dozens  of  blossoms,  all  of  different  shades,  may  be  gathered; 
this  is  particularly  the  case  in  the  green-house ;  in  the  bor- 
dei  the  colors  are  more  constant.  This  is  probably  from 
its  abundant  flowers  and  free  habit,  the  most  popular 
variety  of  its  color,  among  gardeners  for  bouquet  purposes, 
and,  though  of  comparatively  recent  introduction,  is  very 
widely  disseminated.  Propagated  by  cuttings ;  produces 
seed  sparingly. 

TROP^EOLUM  PEBTGBINUM,  ADTJNCTTM:,  or  CANABIENSE, 
commonly  known  as  canary-bird  flower.  A  very  lovely  and 
popular  variety ;  grows  about  ten  feet  high,  and  blooms  well 
if  the  soil  is  not  too  rich.  It  is  commonly  cultivated  as  a 
summer  border  plant,  but  will  bloom  well  in  the  green- 
house. To  this  end,  plants  should  be  struck  during  the 
summer,  and  grown  with  plenty  of  light  and  air ;  let  the 
soil  be  loam,  and  well  rotted  manure,  with  a  little  sand ; 
do  not  give  the  roots  too  much  pot  room,  and  water  occa- 
sionally with  liquid  manure.  Plants  may  also  be  raised 
from  seed,  but  they  flower  less  freely  than  those  struck  from 
cuttings.  This  lovely  variety  is  too  well  known  to  need 
description. 

5 


bb  PLANTS   FOR  WINDOW   GARDENING. 

We  have  been  thus  diffuse  in  treating  of  this  plant, 
because  it  is  the  best  climbing  window  plant  we  have. 
Give  it  sun,  and  it  will  be  a  mass  of  bloom  all  winter.  A 
pretty  way  is  to  train  it  up  the  side  and  across  the  window 
on  strings.  Do  not,  however,  give  it  a  very  large  pot,  or  it 
will  all  run  to  leaves.  It  should  also  have  a  sandy  soil. 


....    All  Eden  bright, 

With  these,  her  holy  offspring,  creations  of  the  light; 
As  though  some  gentle  angel,  commissioned  love  to  bear. 
Had  wandered  o'er  the  greensward,  and  left  her  footprints 
there. 


CHAPTER    IV. 


PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING,  CONTINUED. 


ROSES.  CHINA  ROSE:  History.  —  Description.  —  Soil.—  Pruning  —  Wa- 
tering. —  Varieties.  TEA  ROSE  :  History.  —  Culture.  —  Varieties. 
BOURBON  ROSES:  History.— Culture.— Varieties.  PINKS:  Indian 
Pink.  —  Carnation.— Difference  between  Carnation  and  Pieotee.— Classes. 
—  Soil.  — Potting.  — Care  of  Flowers.  —  Culture  out  of  doors.  —  Pro;>- 

(67) 


68  PLANTS   FOR  WINDOW   GARDENING. 


agation.  —  Layers.  —  Pipings.  —  List  of  Carnations  and  Picotees.  FUCH. 
BIAS  :  History.  —  Growth.  —  How  to  direct  it.  —  Wintering.  —  Soil.  — 
Varieties. 


N   continuing  our  list  of  plants  adapt- 
ed for  window  gardening,  we  come 
to  the    queen  of  flowers,  the  Rose. 
A  book,  rather  than  a  portion  of 
a  chapter,  should  be  devoted  to  this 
flower ;  but  as  our  space  is  limited,  we  must 
with  a  word,  dismiss  the  large  divisions  of 
June,    Hardy   or    Hybrid    Perpetuals,    Pro- 
vence, Damask,  Galic,  Moss,  Climbing,  Austrian, 
Noisette,  and  Banksian  Roses,  each  of  which  would  require 
a   separate   treatise,  and   confine  ourselves  to   the    China, 
Bourbon,  and  Tea  families. 

Many  of  the  others  are  of  great  value  for  the  green- 
house, some  being,  in  our  climate,  purely  green-house 
roses,  and  others  being  invaluable  for  forcing;  but  none 
succeed  with  parlor  culture,  though  many  are  well  known 
in  the  garden,  and  may  claim  more  than  a  passing  mention 
when  we  come  to  the  concluding  portion  of  our  book, 
the  Flower  Garden  and  Shrubbery. 


PLANTS   FOR   WINDOW   GARDENING.  69 


CHIXA    ROSE. 

And,  first,  the  China  rose.  While  treating  of  paren- 
tage, we  may  also  include  the  tea  rose,  which,  with  the 
China,  comes  from  the  same  ancestor,  the  Rosa  Indica  and 
its  varieties.  From  this  stock  come  all  the  China  and  tea- 
scented  roses,  which,  by  skilful  hybridization,  are  now  so 
multiplied  that  already  their  name  is  legion.  Prop- 
erly speaking,  the  three  roses  which  are  the  oldest,  and 
may  be  considered  parents  of  the  race,  are  Rosa  Indica, 
the  common  Chinese  rose,  R.  semperflorens,  the  crimson  or 
sanguinea  rose,  and  R.  odorata,  the  Chinese  or  sweet- 
scented  tea  rose~ 

The  China  rose  and  its  hybrids  are  usually  stout  growing, 
and  sometimes  of  a  close,  twiggy  habit.  With  us  they 
will  not  endure  the  winter  without  protection,  but  south  of 
Baltimore,  stand  out  uninjured. 

They  are  the  common  rose  of  window  gardening,  and 
are  known  as  "monthly  roses."  The  colors  vary  from 
white  to  deep  crimson  or  red,  running  through  all  the 
shades  of  blush  and  pink. 

They  are  often  exposed  for  sale  in  early  spring  at  the 
corners  of  streets  and  in  the  market  places,  every  little 


70  PLANTS   FOR   WINDOW   GARDENING. 

shoot  being  crowned  with  a  bud  or  flower.  The  foliage  is 
generally  smooth,  glossy,  and  fine  cut,  clothing  every  little 
twig,  and  of  a  lively,  fresh  appearance. 

It  will  survive  almost  any  treatment,  and  will  live  if  but 
a  ray  of  sunlight  can  reach  it.  It  is  the  poor  man's  friend, 
and  clings  to  him  in  every  vicissitude ;  yet,  while  possess- 
ing adaptability  to  circumstances  in  a  remarkable  degree, 
no  plant  will  better  repay  care  and  attention.  Cleanliness, 
washing,  and  syringing  are  essential  to  good  health ;  give 
plenty  of  light,  and  it  will  repay  you  by  abundance  of 
bloom.  Though  as  its  common  names  (daily  or  monthly 
rose)  imply,  it  will  not  bloom  every  day,  yet  there  will  sel- 
dom be  a  day  when  it  will  not  have  a  flower  or  a  bud 
upon  it.  It  will  ask  you,  too,  for  an  occasional  smoking ; 
for  the  green  fly  is  very  fond  of  the  delicate  juices  of  its 
young  shoots,  and  this  indeed  of  all  roses. 

Do  not  give  it  too  large  a  pot.  Roses  will  do  well  in 
smaller  pots,  in  proportion  to  their  size,  than  almost  any 

other  plant. 

SOIL. 

Yet  the  soil  must  be  rich  and  well  mixed.  It  should 
consist  of  four  parts  of  the  richest  black  loam,  or  leaf 
mould,  two  parts  of  well-rotted  manure,  with  a  slight  a/i- 


PLANTS   FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING.  71 

mixture  of  fine  sand.  This  soil  should  not  be  sifted,  but 
lumpy,  yet  well  mixed  together. 

In  potting,  as  much  of  the  old  soil  as  can  be  taken  off 
without  breaking  the  roots,  should  be  removed,  and  the 

phnt  set  just  up  to.  the  neck  or  collar,  on  the  new  soil; 

% 
settle  the  earth  well  around  the  plant,  and  give  a  gentle 

watering  from  the  fine  rose  of  a  watering  pet.  Pruning 
should  be  done  as  required ;  the  eyes  will  break  any  where ; 
therefore,  whenever  a  branch  becomes  too  long  or  un- 
sightly, cut  it  in;  there  need  be  no  fear  of  injuring  the 
plant. 

If  they  have  been  planted  out  in  the  garden  during  the 
summer,  on  removal  to  the  house  in  the  autumn  they  will 
need  a  severe  pruning.  Cut  off  the  young  wood  to  within 
a  few  inches  of  the  old  wood,  and  give  the  plants  a  little 
rest,  by  giving  less  water  and  little  heat ;  when  you  wish 
them  to  bloom,  bring  them  into  full  sunlight,  give  more 
heat,  and,  as  soon  as  the  young  branches  have  begun  to 
push,  give  plenty  of  water.  Every  eye  will  produce  a 
shoot,  crowned  with  one  or  more  buds ;  after  blooming, 
shorten  in  the  blooming  branches  about  one  half;  new  eyes 
will  push,  and  a  second  display  of  bloom  be  the  result.  In 
watering  roses,  care  must  be  taken  not  to  render  the  soiJ 


72        PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

cold  and  sodden;  water  should  never  stand  round  the 
roots;  frequent  stirring  of  the  surface  of  the  soil  is  very 
beneficial.  A  few  bits  of  charcoal,  broken  fine  and  mixed 
with  the  earth,  will  impart  the  richest  brilliancy  to  the 
flowers. 

The  following  list  of  China  roses  will  be  found  to  include 
the  best  old  varieties.  New  hybrids  are  constantly  pro- 
duced, and  all  of  this  class  make  good  window  plants. 
China  roses  are  called  also  "  Bengal ''  roses. 

List  of  China  Hoses. 

1.  Agrippina,  or  Cramoisi  Supcrieur.    Rich,  velvety  crimson,  very 
double. 

2.  La  Superbe.    Purple  crimson,  very  double,  flowers  always  opening 
well. 

3.  Eels  Blush.    A  profuse  bloomer;  flowers  large  ar.d  double,  resem- 
bling a  tea  rose. 

4.  Indica,  or  Common  Daily.    Dark  blush  or  rose  color  ;  free  grower 
and  profuse  bloomer.    This  is  the  common  "monthly  rose." 

/>.  Indica  Alba.  A  white  variety  of  the  last,  of  more  slender  growth, 
but  double  and  free  flowering. 

6.  A  dwarf  form  of  R.  Indica,  called  "  Fairy  Rose"  Tom  Thumb, 
Lawtweana,  is  a  pretty  little  miniature  rose,  very  double,  and  about  as 
large  as  a  dime  or  half  dime. 

7-  Mrs.  Bousinquct.  Creamy  blush,  very  fine ;  by  some  classed  as  a 
Bourbon,  which  it  seems  to  be.  It  is  very  distinct  from  other  Chinas. 

•8.  Semperflorens,  or  "  Sanguinea."  Very  double;  cupped;  rich 
crimson.  Every  where  grown  and  appreciated. 


PLANTS  FOU  WINDOW  GARDENING.        73 

9.  Jacksonia.    Bright  red,  very  double. 

10.  Louis  Philippe.    Dark  crimson;  globular. 

11.  Eugene  Hardy.    White,  changing  to  blush. 

12.  Eugene  Beauharnais.    Bright    amaranth,   very    fine    form,    and 
fragrant. 

There  are  many  others  which  may  bo  found  in  florists' 
catalogues. 

F  r  one  rose  for  bloom,  choose  No.  8 ;  for  two,  Nos.  8 
and  3 ;  for  three,  Nos.  8,  3,  and  12 ;  for  four,  add  No.  4; 
for  five,  add  No.  2;  for  six,  No.  9  or  1. 

TEA   HOSES. 

The  original  rose  (R.  odorata)  was  only  introduced  about 
1812,  and  from  this  have  sprung  our  many  fine  varieties. 
The  treatment  required  is  identical  with  that  of  the  China 
rose ;  yet  a  richer  soil,  and  more  heat  and  light,  may  be 
afforded  to  advantage.  The  former  is  easily  done  by  in- 
creasing the  proportion  of  manure  in  potting. 

They  also  need  more  care,  and  are  not  so  patient  under 
neglect.  For  summer  bedding  in  the  garden,  they  are  un- 
surpassed. Usually  their  growth  is  more  delicate  and 
graceful  than  that  of  the  China  varieties. 

The  following  list  includes  some  of  the  best  varieties, 
which  may  be  relied  upon  for  window  or  garden  growth. 


74        PLANTS  FOB  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

They  will  not  bear  our  winters  unprotected.  This  list 
may  be  multiplied  fourfold  from  catalogues :  — 

1.  Adam.    Bright  pink ;  large  and  cupped. 

2.  Comte  de  Paris.     Creamy  rose  ;  large  and  fine. 

3.  Caroline.    Bright,  rosy  pink  or  flesh-colored ;  large  and  very  fine. 

4.  Gloire  de  Dijon.    Yellow,  shaded  with  salmon  and  rose  ;  an  im- 
mense flower;  very  full;  not  always  opening  well  with  window  culture; 
by  some,  considered  a  "  Bourbon." 

5.  Clara  Sylvain.    Pure  white  ;  double ;  very  fragrant. 

6.  Yellow  Tea.    Pale  yellow  ;  long,  beautiful  bud ;  very  fine. 

7.  Elise  Sauvage.    Bright  yellow,  fading  to  white  ;  large  and  fine. 

8.  Madame  Desprez.    White  ;  very  fragrant. 

9.  Safrano.      Fawn   color  or  saffron ;    sometimes    rosy ;    not  very 
double,  but  fine  in  the  bud; 

10.  Triomphe  de  Luxembourg.    Buff  salmon,  shading  to  rose. 

11.  Souvenir  d'un  Ami.    Rose  and  salmon  ;  fine. 

12.  Goubault  Rose.    Yellow  centre  ;  large  and  fine, 

13.  Le  Pactole.    Lemon  yellow;  very  fine. 

14.  Bougere.    Browzy,  rosy  lilac ;  a  strong  grower. 

15.  Odorata.    Fine  blush,  well  cupped. 

16.  Bon  Silene.    Rosy  salmon. 

For  one  rose  of  this  class,  for  window  culture,  we   should  select 
No.  15 ;  then  add  No.  9,  No.  12,  No.  14,  No.  5,  No.  2,  No.  1. 

BOURBON    ROSES. 

* 
The  union  of  the  Damask  Perpetual  with  the  China  rose 

has  produced  the  new  and  distinct  race  known  as  Bour- 
bons. They  have  a  peculiar  habit  and  foliage,  are  free, 
vigorous  growers,  and  much  hardier  than  the  China  rose. 
In  the  Middle  States,  they  are  perfectly  hardy,  and  will 


PLANTS   FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING.  75 

endure  our  winters  with  but  slight  protection.  As  bedders, 
they  are  unsurpassed,  and  bloom  during  the  whole  summer. 
They  are  usually  wintered  in  frames,  like  the  China  and 
tea  roses.  For  window  gardening,  they  are  not  as  suitable 
as  those  species,  yet  their  beauty  renders  them  worthy  of  a 
permanent  place,  where  space  can  be  given,  and  for  green- 
house and  conservatory  blooming,  they  are  magnificent. 

Their  treatment  is  identical  with  that  of  the  species 
above  described. 

The  following  are  fine  varieties :  — 

Bouquet  de  Flore.    Light,  rosy  carmine. 

Dr.  Roque.    Purplish  crimson. 

Gloire  de  Dijon.    See  tea  roses. 

Madame  Desprez.    See  tea  roses. 

Dupetit  Thonars.    Bright  crimson  ;  very  showy. 

Leveson  Gower.    Deep  rose  ;  very  large. 

Souvenir  de  la  Malmaison.    Pale  flesh  color,  very  large  and  fine. 

Queen  of  Bourbons.     Fawn-colored  blush  ;  a  free  bloomer. 

Sir  Joseph  Paxton.    Deep  rose  ;  very  fine. 

Paul  Joseph.     Purplish  violet. 

Hermosa.    Light  blush  or  rose  color ;  very  fine  form. 

George  Peabodi/.     Dark,  velvety  crimson. 

Mrs.  Bosanquet.    Pale  flesh  color ;  good  form ;  very  fine. 

The  most  satisfactory  method  of  growing  roses  is  to 
build  a  small  pit  for  them.  Plant  them  out  in  a  ricli  soil, 
and  they  will  bloom  summer  and  winter.  Very  little  heat 


76  PLANTS  FOB   WINDOW  GARDENING. 

is  required  to  winter  them  safely,  and  the  sashes  being 
entirely  removed  in  summer,  all  the  benefit  of  growth  in 
the  open  air  is  obtained.  On  the  approach  of  frosty 
nights,  the  sashes  are  put  on,  and  the  roses  bloom  all 

winter. 

THE    PINK. 

Next  to  the  rose,  this  is  a  favorite  flower,  and  as  a  win- 
dow plant,  does  equally  well  in  spring  and  summer. 

We  shall  at  once  dismiss  the  garden,  Indian,  and  florists' 
or  Paisley  pinks,  and  confine  ourselves  to  the  carnation  and 
picotee,  these  being  the  varieties  for  window  culture. 

Yet  a  word  for  the  double  crimson  Indian  pink.  It  is  a 
pretty  little  flower,  always  in  bloom,  and  only  needs  light 
and  a  rich  loam  to  make  it  a  beautiful  window  plant. 

The  best  way  to  procure  it  is  to  buy  seed ;  sow  it  in  the 
spring,  in  the  garden,  and  on  the  approach  of  frost,  pot 
the  plants  for  winter  blooming.  It  may  then  be  easily 
increased  by  slips  or  layering. 

The  carnation  pink  is  a  very  old  inhabitant  of  our  gar- 
dens. It  is  said  to  have  been  introduced  into  cultiva- 
tion from  Italy  or  Germany  before  1510. 

The  question  is  often  asked,  What  is  the  difference  be- 
tween a  carnation  and  a  picotee  ?  None,  botanically ;  it  19 


PLANTS   FOR   WINDOW   GARDENING.  77 

purely  a  florist's  distinction.  The  carnation  has  the  marks 
on  its  petals,  from  the  centre  to  the  edge,  in  flakes  or 
stripes  of  colors,  on  a  white  ground.  The  picotee  has  a 
vhite  or  yellow  ground,  the  edges  of  the  petals  being 
fringed  with  various  shades  of  red  and  purple. 

Carnation!  are  divided  into  five  classes,  namely: 
1.  Scarlet  Bizarres ;  2.  Pink  or  Crimson  Bizarres ;  3.  Scar- 
let Flakes ;  4.  Rose  Flakes ;  5.  Purple  Flakes. 

Bizarre  is  derived  from  the  French,  meaning  odd  or 
irregular.  The  flowers  in  these  classes  have  three  colors, 
which  are  irregularly  placed  on  each  petal.  Scarlet  Bizarres 
have  that  color  predominating  over  the  purple  or  crimson  ; 
but  the  Pink  or  Crimson  Bizarres  have  more  of  these  colors 
than  the  Scarlet.  Scarlet  Flakes  are  simple  white  grounds, 
with  distinct  stripes  or  ribbons  of  scarlet.  Rose  and  Pur- 
ple Flakes  have  these  two  colors  upon  a  white  ground. 

Picotees  are  divided  into  seven  classes  :  1.  Red,  heavy- 
edged;  2.  Red,  light-edged;  3.  Rose,  heavy-edged; 
4.  Rose,  light-edged ;  5.  Purple,  heavy-edged;  6.  Purple, 
light-edged;  7.  Yellow  ground,  without  any  distinction  as 
to  the  breadth  of  the  edge  color. 

Pinks,  both  picotces  and  carnations,  are  of  little  use  as 
house  plants  until  well  into  the  spring ;  if  however,  they 


7.8  PLANTS   FOE   WINDOW  GARDENING. 

are  grown,  they  should  be  kept  cool,  and  rather  dry ;  there 
is  nothing  gained  by  trying  to  force  them.  The  best 
method  of  growing  them  is  in  the  open  border,  preserving 
them  in  a  cold  frame  through  the  winter.  If  grown  in 
pots,  they  are  much  more  difficult  of  management.  In  the 
open  border,  they  bloom  in  June,  July,  and  later,  and  are 
an  indispensable  ornament.  We  do  not  recommend  the 
pink  as  a  window  flower,  but  have  been  constrained  to 
include  it  in  our  list,  as  it  is  a  favorite  flower. 

The  rules  we  give  are  very  full,  and  apply  both  to  the 
window,  the  cold  frame,  and  the  garden ;  they  are  com- 
piled from  English  authorities,  and  possess  little  claim  to 
originality. 

PROPAGATION  AND  GENERAL  TREATMENT. 

Suil  for  Culture  in  Pots.  Get  the  turf  from  an  upland 
pasture ;  take  off  about  three  inches  thick,  and  keep  it  in 
a  heap  for  a  year,  to  cause  the  grass  roots  to  decay  and 
mellow  the  soil ;  chop  it,  and  turn  it  over  four  or  five  times 
during  the  year;  it  will  be  in  finer  condition  for  use. 
During  this,  the  worms  and  grubs,  especially  wire  worms, 
should  be  picked  out,  for  it  is  frequently  the  case  that  the 
soil  best  adapted  to  the  carnation  contains  its  greatest 


PLANTS    FOB   WINDOW   GARDENING.  79 

enemy.  Before  being  used,  the  soil  should  be  passed 
through  a  coarse  sieve  or  screen,  and  the  fibre  rubbed 
through  with  the  soil.  The  soil  in  which  the  plants  are 
bloomed,  and  that  in  which  they  are  kept  in  small  pots 
through  the  winter,  should  be  different,  for  in  the  latter  they 
are  not  required  to  make  much  progress,  and  the  less  they 
are  excited  in  autumn  and  winter  the  better,  provided  they 
make  steady  progress  and  preserve  their  health.  This  can 
only  be  secured  by  abstaining  from  the  use  of  stable  dung, 
using  pure  loam,  and  such  decayed  vegetable  matter  as  is 
afforded  by  the  grass  naturally  growing  in  loam  when  the 
turves  are  cut.  Neither  should  the  loam  be  too  adhesive, 
but  sufficiently  porous  to  allow  the  water  to  percolate 
freely ;  should  it  not  be  so  naturally,  a  little  sand  may  be 
used  to  lighten  it.  In  preparing  the  soil  for  blooming  the 
plants,  take  of  this  loam  three  parts,  well  decomposed  leaf 
mould  one  part,  thoroughly  rotted  cow  dung  one  part  (if 
Oils  cannot  be  obtained,  hot-bed  manure,  well  decomposed, 
in  fact,  reduced  to  a  fine,  black  mould,  may  be  substituted), 
and  of  sandy  peat,  one  part.  A  small  portion  of  old  lime 
rubbish,  slightly  sifted,  will  be  of  service  to  the  plant, 
mixed  among  the  compost.  Being  duly  mixed,  in  sufficient 
quantity,  let  it  be  brought  under  shelter  to  dry  some  time 
before  the  potting  season. 


80        PLANTS  FOB  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

On  receiving  the  plants  from  the  nursery,  if  in  the  fall, 
they  should  be  potted,  as  above,  in  four-inch  pots,  giving 
two  inches  of  crocks  at  the  bottom  for  drainage,  and  nearly 
filling  the  pot  with  the  earth,  but  highest  in  the  middle, 
and  spreading  the  roots  as  much  as  possible  all  around 
alike.  The  soil  is  only  just  to  cover  the  roots,  and  to  be 
pressed  gently  to  them,  and  in  this  state,  after  watering,  to 
settle  the  loam  about  their  roots,  they  should  be  placed  in  a 
common  garden  frame,  upon  a  hard  bottom,  into  which  the 
waste  water,  when  refreshed,  cannot  soak,  but  with  a  very 
gentle  slope,  that  any  water  which  runs  through  the  pots 
may  run  away.  In  the  winter  management,  the  chief 
object  is,  to  give  all  the  air  they  can  have  in  mild  weather 
by  taking  the  lights  off;  to  give  them  water  very  seldom, 
and  never  till  they  absolutely  want  it.  If  to  be  grown  in 
pots,  they  should  be  re-potted  early  in  twelve-inch  pots, 
two  or  three  plants  in  a  pot,  using  the  soil  above  directed. 
Let  there  be  at  least  three  inches  drainage.  In  putting 
them  in  those  large  pots,  let  the  ball  of  earth  be  turned 
out  whole,  rub  off  a  little  of  the  surface,  and,  after  having 
filled  the  large  pot  high  enough  with  the  compost,  place  the 
ball  so  that  the  collar  of  the  plant,  which  is  just  above  the 
surface  of  the  old  ball,  be  within  half  an  inch  of  the  edge 


PLANTS  FOB  WINDOW  GARDENING.  81 

of  the  pot ,  put  the  soil  around  it ;  press  it  down  between 
the  ball  and  the  side,  and  fill  the  whole  up  level  with  the 
collar  of  the  plant  and  the  edge  of  the  pot.  Let  them  all 
be  placed  in  a  sheltered  spot,  and  refreshed  with  water 
when  they  require  it,  which  will  be  more  or  less  frequently, 
according  as  tne  season  be  dry  or  wet.  Let  each  pot  have 
a  stake  in  the  centre,  to  which  the  plants  may  be  closely 
tied  as  they  rise  up  for  bloom.  When  they  show  their 
buds,  remove  all  but  three,  and  the  flowers  will  be  the 
finer,  and  not  more  than  one  blooming  shoot  may  be  left  on 
each  plant.  When  the  buds  have  swollen,  and  are  about 
to  burst,  tie  a  piece  of  bass  matting  round  the  middle,  and 
carefully  open  the  calyx  down  to  the  tie,  at  all  the  divisions, 
as  the  flower  can  then  open  all  around  alike  ;  otherwise, 
they  frequently  burst  on  one  side,  and  it  is  then  difficult  to 
form  an  even  flower.  As  the  petals  develop  themselves, 
they  should  be  shaded  from  the  sun  and  rain,  either  of 
which  would  damage  the  flowers.  Culture  in  pots  is  sel- 
dom resorted  to  in  this  country,  unless  it  be  for  exhibition 
purposes ;  and  it  is  for  the  benefit  of  amateurs,  who  wish 
to  grow  them  for  that  purpose,  that  we  have  given  such 
minute  directions. 

Culture  in  Beds  and  the  Flower  Border.     This   is  the 
6 


8  2        PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

most  common  method  in  this  country,  culture  in  pots  being 
attended  with  more  trouble,  and  occupying  more  time,  than 
can  usually  be  given. 

They  succeed  admirably  in  any  good  garden  loam,  pro- 
vided it  is  well  drained;  wet  or  moisture,  when  over 
abundant,  is  very  injurious.  The  soil  should  be  trenched 
to  the  depth  of  eighteen  inches  in  the  fall,  enriching  it  at 
the  same  time  with  leaf  mould  and  cow's  manure,  thor- 
oughly rotted ;  should  the  soil  be  heavy,  an  addition  of 
refuse  charcoal,  lime  rubbish,  or  sand,  will  be  beneficial, 
leaving  the  surface  rough,  that  the  frost  of  winter  may  act 
upon  it.  In  the  spring,  the  beds  should  be  again  thor- 
oughly spaded  to  the  depth  of  one  foot,  and  raked  smooth ; 
after  which  the  plants  should  be  turned  out  of  the  pots, 
leaving  the  ball  entire,  and  planted  two  feet  apart  each 
way.  The  after  treatment  may  be  the  same  as  recom- 
mended for  pot  culture. 

Propagation.  By  layers  and  pipings,  for  increasing 
approved  sorts,  and  by  seed  for  the  production  of  new 
varieties. 

By  Layers.  The  time  for  performing  this  operation  is 
when  the  plants  are  in  full  bloom,  or  a  little  past.  The 
shoots  of  the  plant,  around  the  bottom,  should  then  be 


PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING.        83 

brought  down  to  the  ground,  and,  when  rooted,  separated 
from  their  parent.  The  materials  needed  for  layering  are  a 
sharp,  small  knife,  a  quantity  of  notched  pegs,  and  some 
finely-sifted  soil.  Choose  a  dull,  cloudy  day  on  which  to 
perform  this  work ;  or,  if  the  plants  are  in  pots,  they  may 
be  layered  in  any  weather.  Begin  by  trimming  off  the 
leaves  from  the  bottom  of  a  shoot,  leaving  the  two  upper- 
most on,  and  entire.  Trim  off  the  lower  leaves  on  every 
shoot  before  layering  one,  because,  when  a  layer  is  tongued, 
it  is  easily  broken  off.  When  this  is  done,  take  hold  of 
the  shoot,  turn  it  up,  and  pass  the  knife  blade  through  the 
third  joint  upward,  commencing  the  cut  just  below  it ;  then 
reach  a  hooked  peg,  thrust  it  into  the  soil,  catching  hold, 
by  its  hook,  of  the  layer  as  it  descends,  and  press  it  gently 
down  to  the  soil.  Do  the  next  in  the  same  manner,  and 
so  on  until  every  shoot  is  layered,  then  cover  them  all  with 
the  sifted  mould,  about  three  quarters  of  an  inch  deep,  and 
the  process  is  completed ;  then  give  a  slight  watering,  and 
the  layers  require  no  further  care,  but  watering,  until  they 
are  rooted,  which  will  be  in  about  a  month  or  six  weeks. 
When  sufficiently  rooted,  pot  them  off  into  five-inch  pots, 
a  pair  in  each ;  or,  if  your  space  is  limited,  and  the  layers 
email,  three  may  be  put  into  each  pot.  After  they  are 


84  PLANTS   FOR   WINDOW   GARDENING. 

potted,  they  should  be  placed  under  glass,  in  a  cold  frame 
or  pit,  plenty  of  air  given  in  mild  weather,  and  shelter  from 
severe  frost,  when  it  occurs.  Very  little  water  is  required 
during  the  winter  months,  and  the  air  in  the  frames  should 
be  as  dry  as  possible.  Should  damp  prevail,  the  plants, 
some  fine  day,  should  be  taken  out,  and  a  coat  of  fine,  dry 
coal  ashes  spread  over  the  surface.  The  plants  should  then 
be  replaced  in  the  pit. 

By  Pipings.  Carnations  may  be  propagated  by  this 
mode,  where  there  is  the  convenience  of  a  gentle  hot-bed. 
It  is,  however,  not  so  safe  as  layering ;  but  when  there  are 
more  shoots  than  can  be  layered,  and  it  is  desirable  to 
propagate  largely,  the  superfluous  shoots  may  be  piped. 
Cut  off  the  lower  part  of  the  shoot,  up  to  the  third  joint, 
trim  off  the  lowest  pair  of  leaves,  and  pass  the  knife  just 
through  the  joint.  Prepare  a  pot,  by  draining  it,  and  filing 
it  with  the  compost  up  to  within  an  inch  of  the  top ;  fill 
that  inch  with  silver  sand,  water  it  gently  to  make  it  firm, 
and  then  insert  the  piping  all  around  it,  close  to  the  pot 
sides ;  place  them  in  a  gentle  hot-bed,  shading  from  the 
sun ;  watch  them  daily,  and  supply  water  when  the  sand 
becomes  dry.  When  they  are  rooted,  which  they  will 
show  by  sending  up  fresh  leaves,  pot  them  in  pairs, 


PLANTS   FOB  WINDOW  GARDENING.  &r) 

as  directed  for  layers,  and  treat  them  in  the  same 
manner. 

By  Seeds.     The  seeds  may  be  sown,  during  the  spring 
months,  in  boxes  or  pans  filled  with  the  same  description 

of  soil  as  before  recommended.     Let  the  surface  of  the  soil 

ft 
be  made  even,  and  the  seed,  evenly  scattered  over  it,  cover 

them  to  the  depth  of  a  quarter  of  an  inch  with  finely  sifted 
mould.  If  early  in  the  season,  the  pans  may  be  put  in  a 
moderate  hot-bed,  just  to  cause  the  seeds  to  germinate,  but 
must  not  be  long  kept  there  for  fear  of  weakening  and 
drawing  the  plants.  Without  artificial  heat,  the  seeds  may 
be  sown  in  May,  placing  the  pans  or  boxes  in  an  open,  airy 
part  of  the  garden,  but  shaded  from  the  sun,  at  least  from 
ten  in  the  morning  till  four  in  the  afternoon.  Moderate 
moisture  will  be  indispensable,  but  if  the  soil  be  kept  too 
wet,  the  plants  are  liable  to  damp  off,  or  to  be  otherwise 
injured.  When  the  plants  have  acquired  six  leaves,  and 
are  about  two  inches  high,  they  should  be  pricked  out  in 
rows  six  inches  apart,  keeping  them  well  watered  until  they 
have  taken  fresh  root.  About  the  beginning  of  October, 
they  should  be  potted  for  the  convenience  of  wintering. 
Plant  out  in  the  spring,  in  a  bed  prepared  as  before 
directed.  As  soon  as  the  blossoms  can  be  seen,  all  the 


86  PLANTS   F03   WINDOW  GARDENING. 

single  sorts  should  be  taken  up  and  thrown  away,  to  give 
the  double  ones  more  room  to  grow.  The  finer  blossoms 
ought  then  to  be  selected  for  layering  or  piping. 

The  following  list  comprises  a  few  of  the  varieties:-— 

CARNATIONS.  PICOTEES. 

Admiral  Curzon,  Esther, 

Coriolanus,  Prince  Albert, 

General  Simpson,  Amy  Robsart, 

King  of  Carnations,  Haidee, 

Falconbridge,  Ophelia, 

Acca,  Princess  Royal, 

Squire  Trow,  Lamia, 

Valentine,  Duke  of  Newcastle, 

Benedict.  Ganymede. 

THE    FUCHSIA. 

If  by  a  window  plant  we  mean  one  which  blooms  in 
winter,  then  the  Fuchsia  is  not  a  window  plant.  A  few 
solitary  blooms  may  be  produced  during  the  spring,  but  the 
summer  is  its  season  of  glory. 

As  a  pot  plant,  for  summer  blooming,  it  is  unsurpassed, 
being  very  floriferous,  of  brilliant  foliage,  and  symmetrical 
habit.  All  of  our  garden  varieties  are  hybrids,  from 
ancestors  introduced  from  South  America  and  Mexico. 
Strange  to  say,  there  is  a  New  Zealand  species  also.  The 


PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING.        87 

first,  F.  coccinea,  was  introduced  from  Chili,  just  before  the 
year  1800. 

The  plant  is  of  the  easiest  culture ;  the  growth  is  rapid, 
and  a  young  spring  cutting  will  make  a  large  plant  by 

autumn.     The  secret  of  growing  the  plant  is,  never  to  let 

tf. 
it  stop  growing  until  you  have  it  of  the  desired  blooming 

size ;  keep  re-potting,  as  soon  as  the  roots  touch  the  pot, 
until  you  get  it  into  a  twelve-inch  pot,  which  is  largt 
enough  for  the  window  blooming  of  a  fuchsia.  Give  plenty 
of  light  and  air ;  turn  the  plant  frequently,  lest  it  grow 
one-sided,  and  fumigate  when  needed  to  kill  green  fly. 
The  best  form  to  grow  a  young  plant  is  the  pyramidal. 
Train  up  a  leading  shoot,  and  if  the  plant  is  supplied  with 
pot  room  and  plenty  of  light,  and  has  not  heat  enough  to 
draw  it  out  weak,  it  will  form  side  shoots  in  sufficient 
abundance  to  produce  a  handsome  outline,  the  branches 
being  allowed  to  take  their  own  pendent  form.  The  plant 
may  also  be  prettily  grown  on  a  flat  trellis.  The  best  place 
for  a  fuchsia  in  winter  is  a  dry  cellar,  free  from  frost, 
where  they  should  be  kept  nearly  dry.  About  the  first  of 
March  prune  back  all  the  side  shoots,  and  leave  only  the 
upright  stem ;  prune  in  the  roots  also,  and  re-pot  them  in 
as  small  a  p6t  as  will  hold  the  roots ;  as  the  eyes  break, 


88        PLANTS  FOE  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

thin  out  those  which  are  not  needed,  leaving  enough  to 
give  plenty  of  side  branches.     Re-pot,  and  treat  as  above 

directed. 

SOIL. 

One  part  of  peat,  one  of  loam,  and  one  of  leaf  mould 
will  grow  them  well ;  thoroughly  mix  the  component  parts, 
and  break  it  rather  fine;  be  careful  to  secure  good 
drainage. 

VARIETIES. 

Every  spring  gives  us  a  host  of  new  varieties,  most  of 
which  are  discarded  in  a  few  years.  The  white  corollaed 
varieties  are  generally  of  weak  growth,  and  not  adapted  for 
culture  out  of  the  green-house.  Those  with  a  double  co- 
rolla we  do  not  admire ;  the  multiplication  of  floral  leaves 
detracts  much  from  the  simple  beauty  of  the  flower ;  they 
are,  however,  valuable  in  a  collection,  and  very  showy. 

Fuchsia  coccinea  is  a  pretty  species,  with  purple  and 
white  sepals  and  corolla. 

Fuclisia  serratifolia,  a  species  with  scarlet  tube,  tipped 
with  green,  blooming  in  winter. 

There  are  some  twenty  other  species,  which  are  beautiful 
in  a  green-house,  but  valueless  for  window  growth. 

The  following  hybrid  varieties  are  all  fine :  — 


PLANTS  FOB  WINDOW  GARDENING.        89 

Venus  de  Medicis.  Tube  white,  sepals  blush  white,  corolla  deep  blue; 
fine  habit. 

Etoile  du  Nord.  Bright  scarlet  sepals  and  tube ;  corolla  black  violet, 
with  short,  reflexed  sepals. 

Souvenir  de  Chiswick.  Tube  and  sepals  rosy,  crimson,  violet;  co- 
rolla fine. 

Ajax.     A  fine,  dark  variety. 

Empress  Eu$nie.    Crimson  sepals,  white  corolla. 

England's  Glory.    Fine  white  ;  scarlet  corolla. 

Globosa.    Scarlet;  purple  corolla. 

Glory.    Crimson;  violet  corolla. 

Lady  of  the  Lake.    Crimson  blush ;  white  corolla. 

Mrs.  Story.    Scarlet  sepals ;  white  corolla. 

Wonderful.    Scarlet  tube  and  sepals ;  violet  corolla. 

Queen  Victoria,  La  Crinoline,  Omar  Pasha,  Nil  Desperandum,  Duch- 
ess of  Lancaster,  Climax,  Guiding  Star,  Rose  of  Castile,  Roi  des  Blancs, 
Prince  Frederic  William,  are  all  fine  varieties. 


Bring  flowers 

They  speak  of  Hope  to  the  fainting  heart ; 

With  a  voice  of  promise  they  come  and  part. 

They  sleep  in  dust  through  the  winter  hours  ; 

They  break  forth  in  glory!    Bring  flowers,  bright  flowers 


CHAPTER    V. 


PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING,  CONTINUED. 


MYRTLE  :  History.  —  Soil.  —  Culture.  —  Varieties.  ACH.EXIA  :  Ease  cf 
growing-.  —  Soil.  ABUTILOX:  Culture.  — Soil.  — Varieties.  THUNBER- 
GIA  :  Sowing.  —  Training'.  —  Insects.  —  Soil. —  Varieties.  ALOYSIA,  OR 
LEMOX  VERBENA  :  Culture.  — Soil.  — Watering.  CALLA:  Resting.— 
Blooming.  —  Soil.  CUPHEA  :  Culture.  —  Potting.  —  Soil.  CACTUS  :  Di- 
visions of  the  Family.  —  Cereus  •.  Summer  Treatment.  —  Pruning.  —  Wa- 


PLANTS   FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING.  91 

tering.  —  Varieties  of  Cereus.  —  Eplphyllum  .•  Soil.  —  Varieties.  HYDRAN- 
GEA :  Culture.  — Soil.  —  Effect  of  Iron.  AGAPANTHUS:  Soil.— Win- 
tering;. —  Watering.  —  Varieties.  OLEANDER  :  Flowering.  —  Soil.  —  Va- 
rieties. PITTOSPORUM :  Varieties.  — Soil.  JASMINE:  Soil.  —  Culture 

—  Water.  —  Varieties.   CALCEOLARIA  :    Sowing.  —  After  Culture.  —  Soil. 

MAHERNIA:    Description.  —  Soil.  —  Varieties.      PRIMULA:    Sowing. 

Treatment.  — Soil.— Description.     SOLANUM:     A  Parlor  Ornament.— 
Culture.  —  Soil.        LAURESTINUS:     Description.  —  Washing.      HOYA: 
Description.  It  Flowering.  —  Watering.     CHRYSANTHEMUMS  :     Culture. 

—  Watering.  —  Soil —  Varieties.     BEGONIA  :    Varieties.  —  Situation.  — 
WateriDg.  —  Soil. 

THE    MYRTLE. 

MYRTLES    are  natives  of  Europe,  New 
Holland,  and  China.     They  are  hard- 
wooded,  evergreen  shrubs,  possessing 
a   peculiar,   agreeable   fragrance,  and 
have    always    been   favorites    for  parlor 
culture. 

The  soil  should  be  three  parts  loam, 
with  one  part  of  sand  and  one  of  leaf 
mould^ 

They  do  not  require  very  large  pots,  and  flourish  well  Li 
almost  any  situation. 

They  require  moderate  washing,  and  watering,  and  plenty 
of  light  and  air  during  the  growing  season,  which  is  in  sum- 
mer, when  they  should  be  put  cut  of  doors  in  a  shady  plad  , 


92        PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

yet  not  under  the  drip  of  trees.  The  flowers  are  usually 
white,  and  produced  in  profusion  in  midsummer.  H.  com' 
munis  is  the  common  plant  of  our  parlors,  of  which  there 
are  many  varieties,  with  small  and  large  leaves,  variegated 
foliage,  and  flowers  single  or  double. 

M.  tenuifolia  is  a  New  Holland  species  ;  a  fine  plant  for 
parlor  culture. 

M.  tomentosa  is  a  fine  Chinese  species,  with  purple 
flowers  changing  to  white,  so  that  flowers  of  many  shades 
are  seen  at  once  on  the  same  plant.  It  should  be  more 
generally  grown,  being  equally  hardy,  except  it  is  impatient 
of  exposure  to  the  hot  sun. 

ACH^INIA. 

A.  malvaviscus  is  a  beautiful  parlor  plant,  symmetrical  in 
growth,  and  producing  its  brilliant,  scarlet  flowers  in  profu- 
sion at  the  end  of  every  branch.  These  flowers  are  suc- 
ceeded by  white  berries,  changing  to  bright  red,  which  alone 
would  make  the  plant  ornamental  did  it  not  always  display 
a  profusion  of  bloom. 

The  best  way  to  grow  the  plant  is  as  a  pyramid,  as  thus 
the  flowers  and  fruit  show  to  great  advantage.  Give  plenty 
of  sun  and  light,  turning  the  plant  frequently.  It  is  not 


PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING.        93 

subject  to  the  attacks  of  insects.     Soil,  two  parts  loam,  two 
leaf  mould,  with  a  slight  admixture  of  sand. 

ABUTILON. 

This  is  a  race  of  shrubby,  green-house  plants,  weU 
adapted  for  The  parlor. 

They  are  free  growers,  of  upright  habit,  and  unless  judi- 
ciously pruned,  will  soon  outgrow  their  quarters.  They 
are  natives  of  South  America  and  New  Holland. 

The  proper  soil  is,  two  parts  loam,  two  of  leaf  mould, 
and  one  of  sand.  If  the  soil  is  too  rich,  the  growth  will  be 
too  rapid  for  the  full  development  of  the  side  branches. 
Keep  the  plant  moderately  moist.  The  varieties  for  parlor 
culture  are,  — 

A.  venosum,  with  large  yellow  flowers  with  red  veins ;  A. 
Bedfordianum,  flowers  much  of  the  same  character. 

A.  striatum,  one  of  our  prettiest  window  plants  •  always 
in  bloom,  and  beautiful  from  its  profusion  of  pendulous, 
veined,  red  and  yellow  blossoms  all  winter. 

There  are  many  other  varieties,  some  with  white,  others 
with  red  flowers,  but  they  are  not  recommended  for  house 
plants.  The  variegated-leaved  kinds  lose  their  coJcring 
under  window  culture. 


94  PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

THUNBERGIA. 

These  pretty  plants  are  usually  grown  as  annuals  with  us, 
for  summer  decoration  in  the  flower  garden,  but  they  also 
make  fine  window  plants.  For  this  purpose,  sow  the  seed 
in  August  in  pots ;  as  the  plants  grow,  transplant  one  to 
each  pot,  and  train  the  slender  shoots  on  a  neat  trellis. 
Give  plenty  of  sun,  and  syringe  very  often,  for  the  plants  are 
very  subject  to  attacks  of  red  spider.  They  will  show 
bloom  about  the  middle  of  January,  and  produce  a  profusion 
during  the  winter  and  spring  months.  The  plants  will  show 
bud  very  early,  but  if  they  are  allowed  to  bloom,  growth 
will  stop  ;  therefore  it  is  best  to  pick  off  all  the  flower  buds 
until  the  plant  is  of  the  required  size,  when  they  may  be 
allowed  to  open. 

Cuttings  root  very  freely  in  sand,  under  a  bell  glass. 
The  soil  should  be,  one  part  turfy  loam,  one  part  peat,  one 
part  well-rotted  manure.  Water  moderately. 

The  varieties  are,  — 

T.  alata,  buff  yellow,  with  a  black  centre ;  T.  alata 
aurantia,  deep  orange,  with  black  centre ;  T.  alata  alia, 
white,  with  black  centre. 

There  are  also  some  superb  hot-house  species. 


PLANTS   FOB  WINDOW  GARDENING.  95 

ALOYSIA,    OR    LEMON    VERBENA. 

A  half-hardy  deciduous  shrub,  from  Chili;  the  only  species 
is  A.  citriodora,  commonly  called  Lemon  Verbena.  It  is 
valuable  only  for  the  fragrance  of  the  leaves,  the  floweia 
being  small,  whitish  lilac,  and  of  little  beauty.  As  a  winter 
plant  it  is  of  no  value,  as  it  needs  a  season  of  rest,  which 
must  be  given  it  in  a  cellar  free  from  frost. 

The  best  treatment  is,  to  plant  it  out  in  spring  in  the 
flower  border,  where  it  will  make  vigorous  growth.  In  the 
fall,  before  the  first  frost,  remove  the  plant  with  a  ball  of 
earth  to  the  cellar.  In  spring,  trim  the  plant  into  a  neat 
shape,  and  re-plant  it.  If  grown  in  pots,  the  proper  soil  is, 
two  parts  of  loam,  two  of  leaf  mould,  and  a  slight  mixture 
of  sand.  While  the  plants  are  growing,  give  plenty  of 
water,  but  withhold  it  entirely  during  the  winter. 

CALLA. 

The  only  plant  of  this  genus,  worthy  of  cultivation,  is  the 
well-known  Calla  Lily  (Eichardia  JEtliiopica).  It  is  too 
familiar  to  our  readers  to  need  description.  To  bloom  the 
plants  well,  they  should  have  a  season  of  rest,  which  may  be 
regulated  so  as  to  have  bloom  at  any  season,  if  we  have  sev- 


i)6        PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

eral  plants.  They  naturally  rest  after  the  blooming  season. 
When  they  again  begin  to  grow,  re-pot  them ;  if  a  plant 
with  a  single  stem  is  required,  remove  all  suckers,  other- 
wise they  will  do  no  harm  to  remain ;  but  the  plant  requir- 
ing frequent  re-pottings,  will  soon  become  so  large  as  to  be 
unmanageable. 

The  foliage  is  peculiarly  fine,  and  the  plant  is  worth 
growing  for  this  alone^ 

If  bloom  is  particularly  desired,  the  best  way  is  to  plant 
some  six  or  eight  roots  in  the  half  of  an  oil  cask.  Paint  it 
green,  and  put  on  two  iron  handles ;  you  thus  have  a  very 
cheap,  pretty,  serviceable,  and  durable  tub.  Fill  this  with 
the  richest  loam,  and  set  the  plants,  the  largest  in  the  mid- 
dle, the  smaller  around  the  sides,  and  set  the  tub  on  the 
piazza  or  in  a  grass  plat.  The  plants  will  bloom  during  the 
summer  very  freely,  and  may  t>e  wintered  in  a  light  cellar 
without  difficulty. 

The  proper  soil  is  richest  loam  and  peat  well  mixed. 
When  growing,  you  cannot  give  the  plants  too  much  water. 
In  the  window,  if  the  plants  are  set  in  a  saucer  kept  con- 
stantly filled  with  water,  they  will  be  the  better  for  it.  In 
summer,  the  plant  will  grow  well,  and  flower  profusely  out 
of  doors  in  a  tank. 


PLANTS   FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING.  97 

CUPHEA. 

The  only  plant  of  this  family,  desirable  for  a  window 
plant,  is  the  little  Mexican  C.  ignea  or  platy centra.  This 
is  a  sparkling  little  gem  of  a  plant,  always  in  bloom.  Plant 
it  in  the  flowe%  border  in  summer,  re-pot  in  autumn,  and  all 
winter  it  will  gladden  you  by  a  profusion  of  its  bright  scar- 
let tubes  tipped  with  a  ring  of  black  and  white.  The  plant 
never  grows  above  a  foot  in  height,  and  is  just  suited  for 
the  window.  Soil,  about  three  parts  loam,  one  each  of  sand 
and  manure.  Water  freely,  but  do  not  allow  the  soil  to 
become  sodden. 

CACTUS. 

There  are  seven  families  of  Cacti,  containing  each  a  great 
number  of  species.  Those  chiefly  grown  as  parlor  plants 
come  under  the  families  Cereus  and  Epipliyllum.  The  for- 
mer family  is  a  native  of  all  dry,  tropical  regions  of  the 
western  continent. 

The  soil  most  suitable  is,  two  parts  peat,  one  part  broken 
potsherds,  broken  coarse,  one  part  loam  or  old  mortar  rub- 
bish, and  one  part  manure ;  mix  these  well  together  and 
secure  good  drainage. 

During  the  summer,  the  plants  should  stand  out  of  doors 


98  PLANTS   FOR  WINDOW   GARDENING. 

in  a  sheltered  place,  from  the  time  they  have  done  flowering 
until  September.  Then  remove  them  to  the  house,  all  parts 
of  shoots  having  no  bloom  buds  (they  are  easily  seen  along 
the  leaves)  being  cut  back  to  just  beyond  the  buds.  The 
plants  should  be  confined  to  six  or  eight  strong  stems  ; 
while  these  are  in  good  health,  the  growth  of  shoots  from 
the  roots  is  not  to  be  encouraged. 

Give  the  plants  no  water  from  September  until  February  ; 
while  in  growth,  water  moderately.  They  bloom  from  May 
to  August. 

Some  of  the  varieties  are,  — 

C.  Speciosissimus.    Crimson  and  purple  flowers. 

C.  Flag  elli for  mis.  Rose  flowers.  This  variety  should  be  allowed  to 
droop,  and  not  be  pruned. 

C.  Grandiflorus  is  the  night-blooming  Cereus;  flowers  yellowish 
white.  This  variety  will  not  bloom  until  it  is  old~ 

C.  Maynardi.     Deep  orange  red  flowers. 

C.  Triangularis.     Cream  color ;  immense  flower. 

All  varieties  will  do  well  as  window  plants.  The  first 
is  the  best  for  general  culture. 

We  now  come  to  the  latter  family,  Epiphyllwn,  all 
natives  of  tropical  America.  This  branch  of  the  Cactus 
family  is  distinguished  by  flat  shoots,  and  leaves  without 
spines.  The  soil  and  treatment  is  identical  with  that  of  the 
Cereus.  The  best  varieties  are,  — 


PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING.        99 

E.  Akfr*vinni.      Fine  scarlet  flower. 
E.  Jenfateonii.    Fine  scarlet  flower. 
E.  Speciitu.n.    Rosy  pink  flower. 
E.  Alitum.    White  flower. 

E.  Trurcatum,  and  its  varieties,  with  scarlet,  rosy,  red,  violet,  and 
o  liite  flowers. 

All  these  la&er  varieties  are  drooping,  and  to  show  to 
advantage,  should  be  grafted  on  some  of  their  tall-growing 
Cercus  relations.  C.  speciosissimus  makes  the  best  stock. 

HYDRANGEA. 

Thi&  is  only  a  summer  plant,  but  an  old  favorite.  One 
requisite  for  its  successful  culture  is  shade ;  if  grown  in  the 
sun,  the  leaves  become  browned  and  the  plant  does  poorly. 
\Vith  us,  it  is  not  hardy  out  doors,  so  it  must  be  grown  in  a 
tub,  and  wintered  in  the  cellar.  The  flowers  are  produced 
on  the  shoots  of  the  previous  year.  It  requires  to  be  well 
grown  to  flower  profusely,  and  the  flowers  from  young  plants 
arc  larger  than  those  on  plants  three  or  four  years  old. 

While  growing,  the  plants  should  have  a  good  supply  of 
water. 

Soil,  one  part  loam,  one  part  manure,  one  part  peat. 
The  color  of  the  flowers  is  pink,  but  if  iron  filings  be  mixed 
with  the  earth  they  will  become  blue. 


100       PLANTS  FOB  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

Besides  the  well  known  pink  variety  (H.  hortensis),  there 
are  many  others ;  of  these,  H.  japonica,  with  blue  and 
white  flowers,  is  desirable. 

AGAPANTHUS, 

Or  African  Lily.  A  showy  plant  for  summer  blooming, 
and  too  well  known  to  need  description.  Soil,  two  parts 
loam,  one  part  manure,  one  part  leaf  mould.  Well  grown 
it  is  a  noble  plant,  but  will  bear  much  ill-usage.  Treated 
as  recommended  for  the  calla  lily,  and  planted  in  a  tub,  it 
forms  a  fine  plant. 

Winter  in  a  dry,  light  cellar,  and  water  occasionally. 
Water  freely  while  growing. 

Thers  is  a  white  variety,  and  one  with  variegated  foliage; 
both  desirable ;  a  native  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 

OLEANDER. 

A  very  showy,  but  much  neglected  plant ;  too  well  known 
to  need  description.  To  bloom  them  in  perfection,  they 
need  a  stove,  and  yet  do  well  in  the  parlor  and  out  of  doors. 

Their  season  for  blooming  is  July,  yet  that  may  be 
changed,  and  bloom  produced  at  any  season.  They  flower 
freely  when  scarcely  a  foot  high,  but  will  grow  to  the  height 


PLANTS  FOB  WINDOW  GARDENING.       101 

of  ten  or  fifteen  feet,  forming  splendid  trees  covered  with 
rose-colored,  white,  or  variegated  flowers. 

Give  them  plenty  of  pot  room  in  soil,  two  parts  loam,  two 
parts  peat,  one  part  well-rotted  manure.  Being  subject  to 
white  scale,  frequent  washings  are  desirable. 

They  may  be  wintered  in  a  light  cellar,  and  then  should 
be  but  little  watered;  during  the  growing  and  blooming 
seasons,  wat  sr  should  be  abundantly  supplied. 

The  principal  varieties  are  double  rose  (Nerium  oleander 
splendens),  striata  pleno,  with  double  striped  flowers,  pur- 
purea,  dark  red,  and  as  many  as  fifty  named  varieties, 

all  good. 

PITTOSPORUM. 

This  is  an  old-fashioned  plant,  a  favorite  for  its  fragrant 
flowers  rather  than  for  any  beauty  of  foliage  or  blossom ; 
the  former  is  dull  green,  the  latter  dirty  white. 

The  common  variety  (P.  Tobira)  is  a  native  of  New 
South  Wales,  and  in  England  is  a  hardy  wall  plant;  with  us 
it  is  a  parlor  plant,  blooming  from  February  to  May.  Soil, 
three  parts  loam,  with  one  each  of  leaf  mould,  sand,  and 
manure. 

Water  freely  while  in  bloom  and  growth.     During  the 


102  PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

summer,  set  the  plant  in  a  sheltered  situation  out  of 
doors. 

The  leaves  need  frequent  washings,  to  keep  them  free 
from  dust. 

This  plant  will  thrive  with  very  little  sun. 

JASMINE. 

A  family  of  favorite  climbing  shrubs,  and  very  pretty  for 
window  culture,  alike  desirable  for  then*  neat  foliage  and 
fragrant  flowers.  The  flowers  are  white  or  yellow,  and  pro- 
duced from  February  to  June,  or  later. 

The  soil  should  be  equal  parts  of  loam  and  peat,  with  a 
slight  admixture  of  sand.  The  only  insect  attacking  them 
is  scale,  which  a  little  care  in  washing  will  soon  remove. 
With  common  room  culture,  they  grow  to  a  large  size  and 
make  superb  plants. 

Water  should  be  rather  freely  given.  They  should  be 
trained  on  neat  trellises,  and  the  branches  allowed  to  droop. 
The  most  desirable  varieties  are,  — 

J.  Azoricum.    "White  flowers  in  summer. 
J.  Odoratissimum.    Yellow  flowers  in  spring. 
J.  MuUiflorum.    White  flowers  in  spring. 
J.  Nwliflorum.    Yellow  flowers  in  spring. 


PLANTS  FOB   WINDOW  GARDENING.  103 


CALCEOLARIA. 

The  best  way  to  grow  this  pretty  plant  is  by  raising  seed- 
lings. Sow  seeds  in  August,  in  light,  rich  loam ;  trans- 
plant the  young  plants  to  separate  pots  ;  pinch  out  the  cen- 
tre of  the  plant,  and  continue  to  do  so  until  the  plant  is  of 
the  required  blooming  size.  As  the  roots  of  the  plant  touch 
the  pot,  re-pot  into  a  size  larger.  When  the  flower  stems 
push  up,  tie  them  neatly  to  sticks.  Be  careful  in  watering 
not  to  give  too  much,  or  your  plants  will  damp  off.  Give 
all  the  sun  and  air  possible,  and  keep  the  plants  as  close  to 
the  glass  as  you  can. 

The  proper  soil  is  three  parts  light,  rich  loam,  one  of  fine 
peat,  one  of  sand. 

The  shrubby  varieties  are  seldom  grown  as.  window 
plants,  but  are  reserved  for  the  flower  garden.  Under  the 
treatment  given  above,  they  grow  and  bloom  well. 

MAHERNIA. 

This  is  a  lovely  flower  and  a  general  favorite,  always 
blooming,  and  always  attractive  with  its  fragrant  yellow 
bells. 

Its  tendency  is  to  grow  straggling,  therefore  it  is  best  to 


104       PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

select  a  plant  with  a  straight  stem.  Tie  up  the  main  stem 
as  it  grows,  and  by  continued  pinching  restrain  the  too 
luxuriant  growth 

M.  odorata  is  the  variety  chiefly  grown.  H.  Hector  and 
Diana  are  pretty  orange  and  pink  varieties. 

Soil,  four  parts  loam,  one  of  sand,  one  of  manure.  Keep 
the  plants  moist,  but  not  wet,  and  give  as  much  sun  as  pos- 
sible. In  bloom  from  February  to  May. 

CHINESE    PRIMROSE. 

Both  the  single  and  double  varieties  of  this  plant  are 
pretty  for  window  gardening.  Sow  the  seed  in  July,  in  a 
fine  soil,  as  directed  for  calceolarias,  and  treat  the  plant  the 
same,  except  the  pinching.  By  January,  nice  little  bloom- 
ing plants  will  be  formed ;  give  them  sun  and  air  and  do 
not  allow  them  to  over-bloom,  as  they  are  apt  to  do. 

After  bloom  is  over,  set  them  out  of  doors  (about  June), 
and  on  no  account  allow  them  to  bloom  during  the  summer. 
Grow  them  well  until  autumn,  then  re-pot  in  blooming 
pots,  and  by  Christmas  they  will  begin  to  show  flower,  and 
keep  up  a  succession  until  spring. 

Soil,  one  part  turfy  loam,  one  part  well  decomposed  cow 
dung,  one  part  peat,  and  one  part  sand. 


PLANTS   FOB   WINDOW   GARDENING.  105 

Be  sure  the  pots  are  well  drained,  and  never  keep  the 
plants  very  wet.  The  colors  are  red,  rosy,  lilac,  white, 
striped,  and  mottled,  with  fringed  and  plain  edges. 

SOLANTJM. 

The  only  plant  of  this  useful  family,  suitable  for  room 
decoration  on  account  of  its  flowers,  is  the  Solarium  jas- 
minoides,  a  pretty  climber,  with  dark  green  foliage,  and 
white  potato-like  flowers,  in  large  clusters. 

It  is  useful  to  climb  around  a  window  or  to  cover  a  trellis. 
It  is  a  rampant  grower,  subject  to  no  disease  or  insect 
attacks,  and  with  sun  and  air,  if  potted  in  a  soil  of  rich 
loam,  will  take  care  of  itself,  and  bloom  all  winter. 

SOLAXUM    PSEUDOCAPSICUM. 

This  plant  is  the  common  Jerusalem  Cherry.  It  was 
introduced  from  Maderia  about  the  year  1596.  For  a 
showy  plant,  in  the  parlor  or  green-house,  it  has  no  equal, 
being  studded  with  bright,  red  berries,  about  the  size  of  a 
cherry ,  during  the  whole  winter.  A  plant  now  before  us, 
only  two  years  old,  is  two  feet  high,  three  feet  through,  and 
bending  down  beneath  the  weight  of  fruit.  The  flowers 
are  produced  in  June,  and  are  inconspicuous.  Sow  the 


106  PLANTS  FOB  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

seeds  in  a  pot  in  April ;  as  soon  as  the  weather  becomes 
warm,  transplant  to  a  rich,  sunny  border ;  the  plants  will 
grow  rapidly,  and  probably  be  in  fruit  the  next  winter ;  pot 
the  plants  before  the  frost,  and  winter  in  room. 

There  is  a  more  dwarf-growing  species  (S.  capiastricum), 
with  orange  berries,  which  is  also  very  ornamental. 

A  strong  loam  is  the  proper  soil  for  all  plants  of  this 
family. 

THE    LAURESTINUS. 

This  plant,  hardy  in  England,  is  with  us  a  winter- 
blooming  parlor  ornament.  It  is  a  free-growing,  free- 
blooming  evergreen,  and  will  bear  much  hard  usage.  If 
cared  for,  however,  it  will  repay  the  attention.  The  flowers 
are  small,  white,  and  in  large,  flattened  panicles,  expanding 
from  February  to  May. 

The  proper  soil  is  a  mixture  of  four  parts  loam,  with  one 
each  of  sand,  leaf  mould,  and  manure.  The  pots  should  be 
large,  and  the  plants  be  freely  watered.  Dust  collecting  on 
the  foliage  injures  the  beauty  and  health  of  this  plant, 
therefore  frequent  washings  are  desirable.  There  are  many 
varieties,  some  of  which,  as  the  snow-ball  (Viburnum  op- 
ulus),  are  hardy  shrubs. 


PLANTS   FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING.  107 

HOYA,    OR    WAX    PLANT. 

A  showy  genus  of  stove  climbers,  of  which  one,  Hoya 
carnosa,  succeeds  well  with  parlor  culture.  It  is  a  climbing 
shrub,  the  leaves  dark  green  and  fleshy  ;  the  flowers  are  of 
a  peculiar  waxy  appearance,  produced  in  umbels,  whitish, 
with  rose-colored  centre,  in  which  hangs  a  drop  of  limpid 
honey. 

Give  the  plant  a  large  pot,  and  a  compost  of  peat  and 
loam  in  equal  parts,  securing  good  drainage.  Give  as  much 
sunlight  and  heat  as  possible.  The  old  bloom  stalks 
should  not  be  removed,  as  they  put  out  flowers  year  after 
year.  Much  water  is  not  needed,  especially  when  the  plant 
is  not  growing.  This  beautiful  plant  is  a  native  of  tropical 
Asia,  and  is  one  of  the  few  stove  plants  that  will  adapt 
themselves  to  parlor  culture. 

CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 

These  plants  are  favorites  for  autumn  blooming,  and 
quite  a  treatise  might  be  written  on  their  cultivation,  since 
they  have  become  florists'  flowers.  A  few  hints  must,  how- 
ever, suffice. 

The  best  way  to  obtain  a  fine  specimen  is,  to  set  out  in 


108       PLANTS  FOB  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

the  garden  in  the  early  spring  a  small  plant ;  give  it  con- 
stant attention  during  the  summer,  and  pinch  out  the  shoots 
so  as'  to  make  lateral  branches.  About  the  first  of  Septem- 
ber let  it  set  for  bloom,  and  on  the  approach  of  frost,  pot  it 
and  remove  it  to  the  parlor.  It  will  bloom  for  two  months 
or  more.  Then  dry  it  off  for  the  winter  in  the  cellar,  and 
by  the  spring  it  will  furnish  you  with  plenty  -f  young 
plants.  Water  should  be  liberally  supplied.  T^e  small- 
flowered,  Pompon,  varieties  are  very  desirable ;  the  larger 
flowers  are  best  seen  in  the  garden. 

The  proper  soil  is  loam  and  well-rotted  manure,  with  a 
little  silver  sand.  Waterings  of  liquid  manure  ara  very 
beneficial  as  the  plants  are  showing  bloom.  The  following 
will  be  found  to  be  fine  kinds :  — 

Pomp  o  n  e. 

Andromeda.    Cream  color.  Riquiqui.    Violet  plum. 

Nettie.    Creamy  pink.  Lady  Mayoress.    White. 

Miranda.    Bright  rose.  Salomon.     Rosy  carmine. 

Christiana.    Canary  yellow.  Canary  Bird.    Yellow. 

Mrs.  Dix.    Blush.  Miss  Talford.    White. 

Large-Flowered   Varieties. 

Alarm.    Crimson.  Prince  Albert.    Crimson  red. 

Little  Harry.    Golden  amber.  King  of  Yellows.    Yellow. 

Cassy.    Orange  and  buff.  Vesta.    White. 

Hermine.    Silver  white.  Annie  Salter.     Canary  yellow 

Pearl.    Pearly  white.  Queen  of  England.    Blush. 


PLAiNTS   FOB   WINDOW   GARDENING.  109 


BEGONIA. 

The  only  two  species  of  this  ornamental  stove  plant  that 
do  well  in  the  parlor,  are  B.  incarnata,  and  fuchsioides. 
The  former  is  an  evergreen  shrub,  with  thick,  fleshy  stems, 
and  large,  drooping  clusters  of  pink  flowers  in  winter.  It 
shosvs  to  great  advantage  if  well  cared  for,  and  is  one  of  the 
best  window  plants.  The  latter  is  often  called  "  coral 
drop,"  and  resembling  the  former  somewhat  in  habit,  pro- 
duces at  all  seasons,  but  chiefly  in  summer,  its  pretty, 
drooping,  coral  flowers. 

Both  species  require  the  warmest  possible  situation,  and 
plenty  of  light  and  sun.  They  are  impatient  of  much 
water,  but  the  plants  should  never  be  allowed  to  droop. 
Good  drainage  is  indispensable.  The  whole  family  thrive 
in  a  compost  of  one  half  loam,  one  half  leaf  mould,  with  a 
slight  portion  of  sand. 


110  PLANTS   FOR    WINDOW   GARDENING. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

PLANTS   FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING,   CONTINUED. 

•SMILAX:  History.  —  Soil.  —  Culture.  GELSEMIUM:  Cultuie.  STEVIA: 
Soil.  —  Culture.  PETUNIA:  History.— Soil.  — Culture.  FERNS  IN  THE 
PARLOR.  CHRYSANTHEMUMS:  Varieties  for  window  culture.  AGAVE, 
or  CENTURY  PLANT:  Species.  —  Culture.  GERANIUMS,  or  PELARGO- 
NIUMS: New  Variegated-leaved.  — Double.  — New  Ivy-leaved.  PALMS 
FOR  HOUSE  CULTURE. 

THE    SMILAX. 

[HE  plant  commonly  called  smilax  is  not  a 
true  smilax,  but  a  liliaceous  plant  from 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  botanically 
known  as  Myrsipliyllum,  so  called  from 
the  resemblance  of  the  foliage  to  that  of  a  myrtle. 
There  are  two  species  —  M.  asparagoides,  which  is  the 
kind  so  commonly  grown,  and  M.  angustifolium.  Both 
species  are  delicate  twining  plants,  with  bright- green  foli- 
age (we  speak  in  popular  parlance,  the  parts  of  these 
plants  usually  called  leaves  being  only  metamorphosed 


PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING.       Ill 

branches),  and  pretty,  nodding,  fragrant,  greenish- white 
flowers,  which  are  succeeded  by  bright-red  berries. 

This  plant  is  easily  grown  in  the  parlor,  and,  twining 
round  the  window,  makes  the  prettiest  frames  imaginable. 

The  root  is  a   bunch  of  tubers  united  at  the  top,  from 

•^ 
which  crown  the  shoots  proceed.     Plants  may  be  obtained 

of  any  florist  in  November,  and  need  only  a  warm,  sunny 
exposure  to  produce  an  abundance  of  foliage.  The  shoots 
should  be  trained  on  strings,  which  may  be  crossed  into 
any  required  form.  The  soil  should  be  sandy  peat  and 
loam,  with  good  drainage  ;  the  pots  should  be  large  enough 
to  allow  full  development  of  the  roots ;  and,  during 
growth,  plenty  of  water  should  be  given. 

About  the  first  of  May  the  plants  will  go  to  rest ;  water 
should  then  be  gradually  withheld,  and,  when  the  leaves 
turn  yellow,  the  plant  should  be  wholly  dried  off,  and 
remain  so  all  summer,  the  earth  being  only  just  damp 
enough  to  prevent  the  roots  from  shrivelling  up.  In 
October  give  water,  and  re-pot  the  plant.  Propagation 
is  effected  by  division  of  the  root,  or  from  seed,  which 
vegetates  freely.  The  atmosphere  of  a  room  in  which 
smilax  is  grown  should  be  kept  rather  moist  by  evapora- 
tion of  water  on  the  stove  or  over  the  f.;rnace,  as,  in  a 


112       PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

hot,  dry  air,  the  plants  are  liable  to  be  attacked  by  red 
spider,  which,  as  syringing  cannot  be  done  in  the  parlor, 
are  difficult  to  get  rid  of. 

THE   GELSEMIUM. 

This  plant,  botanically  (7.  sempervirens  or  nitidum,  is 
commonly  known  as  Carolina  jasmine.  It  is  a  native  of 
our  Southern  States,  being  generally  found  on  the  river 
banks,  and  along  the  roads  in  moist  places. 

The  foliage  is  dark,  shining  green ;  and  the  flowers, 
u  hich  are  freely  produced,  are  bright  yellow,  and  delight- 
fully fragrant. 

The  soil  should  be  rich  sandy  loam,  and  plenty  of  water 
should  bo  given  when  the  plant  is  in  growth.  Cuttings 
root  easily  under  a  bell-glass. 

This  is  a  charming  window  plant,  and  easily  grown.  It 
is  a  half  climber,  and  needs  the  support  of  a  stake  or 
trellis.  We  have  seen  a  single  plant,  which,  grown  in  a 
large  tub,  occupied  the  whole  of  a  large  bay-window,  and 
was  a  marked  example  of  what  success  may  be  attained 
in  window  gardening. 


PLANTS   FOB   WINDOW   GARDENING. 


THE   STEVIA. 

Some  species  of  this  large  genus  are  useful  as  window 
plants,  blooming  in  early  winter,  at  a  time  when  flowers 

are  scarce. 

ft 
The  foliage  is  clear  green,  shining  in  some  species ;  and 

the  flowers,  which  are  very  abundant,  are  in  dense  cor- 
ymbs. The  color  is  usually  white,  but  some  are  pink  or 
purple. 

Cuttings  are  struck  in  the  spring,  grown  out  of  doors 
all  summer,  the  plants  being  frequently  pinched  to  keep 
them  in  shape.  Just  before  the  frost,  the  plants  are  pot- 
ted, shaded  for  a  few  days  to  establish  them,  and  forced 
into  bloom  in  December.  After  blooming,  the  plants  are 
thrown  away,  except  the  few  needed  for  cuttings.  The 
soil  should  be  good  loam,  and  water  should  be  given 
freely.  The  best  species  for  window  culture  is  S.  salici- 
folia. 

THE   PETUNIA. 

This  well-known  plant  blooms  freely  in  the  window,  and 
is  very  easily  grown. 

It  is  a  native  of  South  America ;   and  from  the  white 
8 


114       PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

variety  (P.  nyctiginiflord)  and  the  small  purple  (P.  vio- 
lacea)  all  the  beautiful  varieties  now  found  in  gardens 
have  originated. 

The  plants  only  require  common  soil,  and  to  be  trained 
upon  a  trellis,  and,  while  they  give  but  little  bloom  in 
winter,  will,  towards  spring,  give  the  greatest  profusion. 
The  double  varieties  are  showy,  but  are  not  favorites 
of  ours. 

One  of  the  best  petunias  is  Countess  of  Ellesmere,  a 
charming  variety ;  color  rosy-red,  with  a  pure  white 
throat. 

FERNS   IN   THE   PARLOR. 

Although  most  ferns  can  only  be  grown  in  the  parlor 
with  the  protection  of  a  Wardian  case,  there  are  some 
which  succeed  well  grown  upon  the  centre-table,  provided 
the  room  is  light  and  airy. 

We  have  for  years  grown  some  species  most  success- 
fully in  this  way,  planting  them  in  porcelain  pots,  or 
boxes,  without  drainage  from  the  bottom,  in  which  they 
have  developed  finely. 

In  the  bottom  of  the  pot  put  two  layers  of  potsherds, 
broken  up  rather  fine,  and  upon  this  a  few  small  lumps  of 


PLANTS  FOB  WINDOW  GARDENING.       115 

charcoal ;  upon  this  fill  the  soil,  a  compost  of  peat,  loam, 
and  sand,  broken  fine,  but  not  sifted,  and  set  the  plant ; 
give  a  good  watering,  and  the  work  is  done. 

Care  must  be  taken  not  to  over-water  so  as  to  rot  the 


roots,  and  not  to  keep  the  room  very  hot  and  close. 

The  species 
culture   are,  — 


The  species  we  have  found  to  succeed  best  in  parlor 


ADIANTUM. 

This  is  a  very  beautiful  and  graceful  family,  of  which 
our  native  maiden-hair  fern  is  a  well-known  species. 

A.  cuneatum.  A  beautiful  Brazilian  species,  with 
graceful  fronds,  which  are  delicate  pink  in  the  young 
state.  It  is  propagated  so  readily  from  spores  that  young 
plants  often  come  up  in  any  .pots  which  may  be  near.  If 
carefully  grown,  it  soon  forms  a  large  plant. 

A.  affine.  A  delicate  species  from  New  Zealand,  very 
easily  grown. 

A.  pedatum.     Our  native  maiden-hair. 

A.  capillus  Veneris.     The  English  maiden-hair. 

Both  of  very  easy  culture. 

DAVILLIA. 

D.  canariensis.  A  graceful  and  pretty  fern.  Does  well 
with  parlor  culture. 


110       PLANTS  FOB  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

BLECHNUM. 

B.  brazilieme  is  a  large-growing,  rather  coarse,  but 
handsome  fern,  which  makes  a  good  specimen  with  room 

culture. 

PTERIS. 

Of  this  large  family  three  are  easily  grown  in  the  parlor, 
and  probably  experiment  would  show  that  many  others 
succeed  equally  well. 

P.  serrulata.  This  is  the  most  common  of  exotic  ferns. 
A  native  of  the  East  Indies,  it  comes  up  from  spores  so 
readily,  in  fern  and  orchid  houses,  as  to  become  a  weed. 
It  grows  rapidly,  and  soon  makes  a  large  plant. 

P.  tremula.  A  large-growing  species,  from  Australia. 
It  makes  a  fine  plant  for  an  ornamental  porcelain  pot,  or 
for  a  low-hanging  basket. 

P.  cretica  albo  lineata.  A  pretty  fern,  and  the  only 
one  of  the  variegated  kinds  which  will  thrive  with  parlor 
culture.  The  leaves  are  light  green,  with  a  clear-white 
centre  and  midrib.  It  is  now  very  common. 

NEPHKOLEPIS. 

N.  exaltata  and  pectinata  are  common  kinds,  easily 
grown  and  very  ornamental. 


PLANTS   FOE  WINDOW   GARDENING.  117 

POLYPODIDM. 

Those  who  cannot  obtain  exotic  ferns  may  cultivate  suc- 
cessfully our  pretty,  wild  polypodium  (P.  vulgare).  It  is 

an   evergreen    species,    very    common     on    shaded,   rocky 

i^ 
places,  and  grows  well  in  the  parlor. 

LYGODIUM. 

This  is  a  beautiful  genus  of  climbing  ferns,  of  which  one 
species  (L.  palmatum)  is  not  uncommon  in  New  England. 

The  oldest  known  species  is  L.  scandens,  a  native  of 
the  East  Indies,  with  large,  bright-green  foliage,  and  which, 
grown  upon  the  rafters  of  a  greenhouse,  makes  a  screen  of 
delicate  beauty.  It  does  well  in  a  Wardian  case,  but  is 
impatient  of  damp,  unless  in  a  high  temperature. 

L.  japonicum  is  a  charming  little  climber,  and  will 
thrive  in  a  Wardian  case,  or  even  in  the  parlor,  if  the  air 
is  not  allowed  to  get  very  dry. 

L.  palmatum  (our  "climbing-fern  ")  is  hardy  and  easily 

cultivated. 

CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 

The  recently  introduced  Japanese  chrysanthemums  are 
valuable  as  prolonging  the  season  of  flowers  far  into  the 


118  PLANTS    FOR   WINDOW   GARDENING. 

winter,  although  the  flowers  are  very  ragged  and  loose. 
The  best  way  for  the  amateur  is  to  buy  from  the  nearest 
green-house  a  few  plants  of  chrysanthemums  in  the  au- 
tumn, bloom  them  in  the  window,  and  then  throw  them 
away. 

AGAVE,    OR   CENTURY  PLANT. 

The  common  Century  plant,  or  American  aloe  (A  Ameri- 
cana), and  the  striped-leaved  variety,  are  too  well  known 
to  need  description.  They  are  very  hardy  plants,  even 
bearing  several  degrees  of  frost  without  injury.  They  are 
stately  plants,  and  will  endure  much  ill-treatment.  In  the 
parlor  they  form  attractive  ornaments  for  the  centre-table 
in  winter,  the  only  care  required  being  not  to  over-water 
them,  and  to  dust  the  leaves. 

There  are  many  other  species,  all  worth  growing ;  but 
the  best  are, — 

A.  Milleri.  A  variety  of  Americana,  of  free-growing1  habit,  and  with 
long  variegated  leaves. 

A.  a  medio  picta.    Rich  golden-yellow  leaves. 

A.  applanata.    Rich  glaucous  foliage. 

A.  coccinia.  A  massive  species;  deep  green  leaves,  armed  with  red 
spines. 

A.  ferox.  A  very  distinct  species,  with  heary  dark-green  leaves,  armed 
with  large  dark-brown  spines. 

A.  fllifera.  Leaves  dark  green,  clothed  with  white  filaments.  A  very 
haudsome  plant. 


PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING.       119 

A.  Ghiesbreghtii.  A  very  distinct  species.  Leaves  bright  grern,  bor- 
dered with  red,  and  armed  with  red  spines. 

A.  Schedigera.  A  handsome  plant,  resembling  A.  filifera,  but  much 
more  beautiful.  The  edges  of  the  leaves  are  white,  and  from  these  hang 
long  woolly  filaments. 

A.  vnivittata.    Leaves  dark  green,  with  central  stripe  of  greenish  yellow. 

A.  Verschoffeltii.  A  showy  species.  Foliage  milky  green,  with  large 
brown  spines. 

A.  Xalapensis.  A  ftautiful  plant.  Leaves  dark  clear  green,  the  edge« 
thickly  set  with  rich  brown  spines. 

A.  xylacantha.    Leaves  glaucous  green,  with  broad  white  margin. 

There  are  scores  of  other  species  and  varieties,  all  hand- 
some and  well  worth  growing,  all  evergreen  except  A.  vir- 
giniana,  which  is  deciduous. 


GERANIUMS,  OR  PELARGONIUMS. 

The  past  few  years  have  witnessed  a  rapid  advance  in 
these  plants.  Great  improvements  have  been  made  in 
both  foliage  and  flower  —  in  the  former,  by  more  vivid  and 
better  defined  markings ;  in  the  latter,  in  size,  shape,  sub- 
stance, and  color.  Some  of  the  new  varieties  have  foliage 
which  equals  in  color  a  brilliant  flower,  and  in  some  the 
permanency  of  the  markings  is  most  remarkable. 

Of  thousands  of  varieties  we  select  the  following  as  the 
best  for  parlor  culture,  both  as  regards  foliage  and  profu- 
sion of  bloom :  — 


120       PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

Duchess.    Salmon  scarlet.  Maid  of  Kent.    Pink. 

General  Grant.    Scarlet.    Large.  Madam  Vaucher.    White. 

Orliculatum.  "  Dwarf.  Crystal  Palace  Gem.   Variegated. 

Louis  Veuillot.          "  Gold. 

Warrior.  "  Mountain  of  Snow.    Variegated. 

Cybister.  "  Silver. 

Gtoire  cle  Corbenay.    Salmon.  Mrs.  Pollock.  Variegated.   Bronze. 

Gertrude  (Barker's).    Salmon  pink.  Lady  Cullum.  "  " 

Helen  Lindsay.    Pink. 


DOUBLE  GEKANIUMS. 

These  varieties  are  not  very  free-blooming  in  the  parlor, 
and  are  better  adapted  for  the  green-house.  However, 
after  the  turn  of  the  year,  they  often  produce  good  flowers, 
and  are  then  very  showy,  the  blossoms  remaining  long  in 
perfection.  They  need  a  rich  soil  and  plenty  of  water,  as 
they  are  generally  strong  growers,  although  plants  bloom 
when  very  young. 

The  best  are, — 


Gloire  de  Nancy.  Double.  Cherry. 
William  Pitt.  "          Scarlet. 

Madam  Lemoine.        "         Pink. 
Marie  Lemoine.  "  " 


It  is  said  a  double  white  variety  has  been  produced  in 
France ;  but  if  so,  it  is  not  yet  for  sale  in  this  country. 


PLANTS   FOB  WINDOW   GARDENING.  121 

IVY-LEAVED  GERANIUMS. 

The  old  ivy-leaved  geranium  (P.  peUatum)  is  a  well- 
known  window  plant,  of  easy  culture.  The  leaf  is  orna- 
mental, and  the  flower,  though  not  very  showy,  is  pretty. 

* 
This   species  has  been  wonderfully  improved  during  the 

past  few  years. 

A  variety  with  leaves  beautifully  marked  with  silver  has 
been  raised,  which  proves  a  capital  window  plant,  and 
requires  no  more  care  than  the  old  kind.  There  is  also  a 
variety  with  golden-edged  leaves. 

There  has  also  been  great  improvement  in  the  flower. 
The  first  advance  in  this  direction  was  P.  peltatum  elegans, 
in  which  the  flowers  were  bright  pink,  and  of  better  form. 
Next  we  had  Princess  Thyra,  flowers  deep  flesh  color, 
marked  with  pink;  and  Grand  Duchess  Maria,  violet  pink, 
with  deep  violet  marks.  But  the  latest  and  by  far  the 
finest  varieties  are  those  with  bright  rosy-pink  or  scarlet 
blossoms,  which  are  so  beautiful  that,  when  they  become 
common,  they  must  be  favorite  window  plants.  They  are 
hybrids  between  the  zonale  and  ivy-leaved  sections,  but 
retain  the  ivy  leaf  while  gaining  the  brilliancy  of  flower 
of  the  zonale  varieties.  WiJhii  has  deep  scarlet  bios- 


122       PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

soms ;  and  in  Willsii  rosea  they  are  delicate  salmon  rose. 
Lady  Edith  and  Gem  of  the  Season  are  two  of  the  newest 
varieties,  which  are  superior  to  all  others  in  color  and  form 
of  flower, 

PALMS  FOR  HOUSE  CULTURE. 

Many  of  the  palms  are  very  ornamental  grown  in  the 
parlor.  Their  stiff  foliage  is  well  adapted  to  endure  the 
impure  air  of  apartments,  and  is  not  injured  by  gas.  They 
also  thrive  with  very  little  sun,  and  are  easily  kept  clean 
by  dusting  or  washing.  It  is,  however,  only  the  more 
hardy  species  which  can  be  so  used,  and  the  best  of  all  is 
fortunately  the  most  common. 

Livistona  bourbonica,  commonly  known  as  Latania 
'bourbonica,  is  a  showy  plant,  with  broad  fan-shaped  leaves, 
which  grows  freely,  and  is  very  useful  for  interior  decora- 
tion. All  the  species  of  Chamoerops  are  very  hardy,  and 
are  very  easily  grown.  The  most  common  are  C.  humilis, 
]"ortunei,  and  Palmetto. 

Corypha  australis  is  a  noble  plant,  and  of  easy  culture. 
All  the  Cycas  are  hardy  enough  to  do  well  in  the  parlor. 
But  by  far  the  most  beautiful  is  Seaforthia  elegans,  a  \ery 
graceful  plant. 


PLANTS   FOR   WINDOW   GARDENING.  123 

Where  plants  are  needed  for  effect,  and  little  attention 
can  be  given,  palms  and  agaves  are  eminently  useful.  All 
winter  they  need  little  care,  and,  provided  they  are  well 
grown  in  summer,  will  only  from  November  to  April  re- 
quire an  occasional  watermg ;  in  fact,  the  care  to  give  is, 
to  see  they  are  not  over-watered.  Of  course  we  cannot 
give  full  descriptions  of  all;  but,  as  a  general  rule,  any 
green-house  palm  will  thrive  in  the  parlor,  and  well  repay 
the  little  care  it  needs. 


124 


HANGING  BASKETS   AND   PLANTS. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

HANGING  BASKETS  AND  SUITABLE  PLANTS,  AND  TREAT- 
MENT OF  IVY. 

HAT  a  pretty  amusement  is  the  growth 
of  plants  in  hanging  baskets  or 
pots  !      It  is  very  popular,  and 
deservedly   so.      The  beauty  of 
the  baskets,  now  fashioned  in  so 
many  artistic  designs,  is  almost 
sufficient  to  inspire  a  love  of  hor- 
ticulture, if  only  for  the  sake 
of   growing    the    plant    in   so 
pretty   a  pot.     Yet  we  cannot  urge 
the  growth  of  plants  in  these  bas- 
kets ;    a  porous  pot    is    essential  to 
the  health  of  a  plant,  and  most  of 
these  baskets  are  china,  or  glazed  or  painted. 

Yet  they  may  be  used  by  setting  the  pot  containing  the 


HANGING   BASKETS   AND   PLANTS.  125 

plant  inside  of  them.  Another  objection  is,  that  having 
no  outlet  for  the  escape  of  the  water,  it  collects  in  the 
bottom,  and,  unless  there  is  very  ample  drainage,  which  is 
seldom  the  case,  the  roots  are  rotting  in  water  while  the 
surface  is  dry. 

Potting  in  these  vases  is  very  simple.  If  the  plant  must 
be  in  the  vase  or  basket,  fill  half  full  of  broken  potsherds ; 
on  these  place  a  thin  layer  of  moss,  and  fill  up  with  pre- 
pared soil ;  shade  the  plant  for  a  few  days  until  well  estab- 
lished, then  hang  it  in  the  window,  and  water  slightly  every 
morning  with  a  fine-rosed  watering-pot ;  as  the  plant 
grows,  dispose  the  branches  to  fall  gracefully  over  the  pot. 

The  plants  most  suitable  for  baskets  are, — 

The  COMMON  PERIWINKLE  (Vinca  Major  and  Minor), 
and  the  pretty  variety  with  variegated  leaves.  This  is  an 
evergreen,  and  produces  its  pretty  blue  flowers  in  spring 
and  early  summer.  There  is  also  a  white-flowered  and  a 
double  variety. 

LYSIMACHIA  MUMMULARIA  (Money  Wort).  A  pretty 
little  trailing  plant,  with  dark,  glossy  leaves,  and  a  pro- 
fusion of  dark  yellow  flowers  in  June.  This  plant  should 
be  in  a  shady  window. 

LIN  ARIA    CYMBAL  YRIA  (Coliseum  Ivy).      A  little    eem 


126  HANGING   BASKETS   AND   PLANTS. 

of  a  plant,  and  thriving  well  in  the  parlor.  Leaves  small ; 
ivy-shaped  flowers,  like  a  little  snap-dragon,  purple  and 
white.  Should  be  kept  rather  moist. 

TRADESCANTIA  ZEBEINA.  A  rapid  growing  plant,  with 
greenish  purple  leaves,  with  lighter  markings  on  the 
upper  side,  and  dark  purple  below;  flowers  small  light 
pink. 

CEREUS  FLAGELLIFORMIS. —  A  pretty  species  of  cactus, 
with  pink  flowers  in  summer,  and  long,  pendulous  leaves, 
with  close  spines. 

LOBELIA  'GEACILIS  AND  ERINUS.  These,  and  many 
others  of  the  family,  are  pretty,  graceful  plants,  producing 
blue  or  white  flowers.  Sow  the  seed  in  early  spring,  and 
plants  will  bloom  in  June,  and  continue  in  blossom  all 
summer. 

NEMOPHILA.  A  class  of  pretty  annuals,  with  blue, 
white,  and  spotted  flowers.  Treat  as  lobelia. 

TROP^OLTJM  (Nasturtium).  The  various  small-flowered 
kinds  do  well,  and  are  gay  with  flowers,  if  the  pot  is  large 
enough,  and  the  soil  not  too  rich. 

SOLANUM  JASMINOIDES.  This  pretty  plant,  previously 
described,  does  well  in  a  large  basket. 

SAXIFRAGA    SARMENTOSA    (Chinese    Saxifrage).      Very 


HANGING  BASKETS  AND  PLANTS.        127 

pretty  and  common,  producing  long,  hanging  runners,  with 
new  plants  growing  out  every  few  inches.  The  flower  is 
white,  produced  on  a  tall  spike,  from  the  centre  of  the  old 
plant.  It  is  not  showy,  and  the  bud,  when  young,  should  be 

cut  off,  as  the  plant  dies  after  blooming.     Give  plenty  of 

% 
water. 

CONVOLVULUS  MAURITANICUS.  A  beautiful,  new  Morn- 
ing Glory,  with  pink  and  blue  flowers,  with  a  white  star  in 
the  centre. 

PELARGONIUM  LATERIPES  (Ivy-leaved  Geranium).  Makes 
an  excellent  plant  for  a  basket,  and  will  do  well  with  little 
care  ;  the  variegated-leaved  variety  is  very  fine. 

DISAXDRA  PROSTRATA.  A  pretty,  free-growing  plant, 
with  long,  slender  stems,  clothed  with  roundish  leaves,  and 
bearing  small,  yellow  flowers,  of  no  particular  beauty; 
cultivated  more  for  its  freedom  of  growth,  than  for  its 
flowers.  Grows  in  any  light,  loamy  soil. 

One  of  the  most  serviceable  trailers  is  the  plant  com- 
monly known  as  German  Ivy  (Senecio  Scandens)  ;  it  is 
of  most  rapid  growth,  with  light  green  leaves,  studded 
with  pellucid  dots,  and  never  troubled  by  insects.  As 
a  screen  for  a  window,  or  covering  for  a  wall,  it  is 
most  valuable.  It  is  easily  propagated,  every  joint  root- 


128  TREATMENT   OP  IVY. 

ing  if  placed  in  the  earth.  The  flowers  are  straw- 
colored,  and  often  produced  in  greatest  profusion.  The 
plant  is  a  native  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  has 
been  introduced  many  years.  It  is  admirably  adapted  for 
baskets. 

IVY. 

This  plant,  in  some  of  its  varieties,  is  probably  the  most 
popular  ornament  of  the  parlor.  The  ease  of  culture,  its 
beautiful  foliage,  its  rapid  growth,  and  evergreen  character, 
all  combine  to  make  it  a  favorite. 

The  soil  should  be  a  rich  loam  ;  the  richer  the  soil 
the  more  rapid  will  be  the  growth.  Yet  avoid  stimu- 
lating manures. 

Slips  root  readily,  taken  off  at  any  leaf  joint,  and  placed 
either  in  earth  or  water;  in  the  latter  they  will  soon 
throw  out  roots,  and  may  then  be  transferred  to  pots. 

The  only  precaution  to  be  taken  in  growing  ivy  is  to 
keep  it  from  frost  while  in  growth ;  and  if  frozen,  to  keep 
the  sun  away  from  it,  thawing  it  out  with  cold  water. 

In  summer  the  plants  may  be  set  out  of  doors,  and  will 
make  vigorous  growth. 

There  are  many  species,  of  which  the  most  common  ia 


TREATMENT   OP   IVY. 


129 


Hedera  Helix,  the  common  twining  ivy,  a  native  of  Europe, 
of  which  there  are  many  varieties.  The  leaves  of  these 
varieties  vary  very  much,  and  many  distinctions  have  been 
founded  on  these  variations.  There  are  two  very  beautiful 
kinds,  the  silver  and  golden,  the  foliage  being  beautifully 
variegated  wuh  white  and  gold.  The  following  cuts  will 


show  how  these  differ  in  foliage,  all  being  taken  from  living 
leaves,  though  some  are  necessarily  reduced  in  size  to 
accommodate  them  to  our  pages. 

The  Tree  or  Aboresccnt  Ivy  is  merely  a  form  of  the  com- 

9 


130 


TREATMENT   OF   IVY. 


mon  variety,  which  is  shown  by  its  returning  to  the  primal 
form  not  unfrequently.  The  leaves  are  entire,  and  the 
plant  often  retains  its  arborescent  form  for  years. 

H.  Rcegneriana  is  a  variety  with  large,  heart-shaped 
leaves,  which  is  much  esteemed. 

H.  h.  digitata,  the   palmate   or  hand-shaped   Ivy  is  a 


pretty  variety,  of  rapid  growth ;  the  leaves  are  small, 
dark,  and  veined.  This  is  often  called,  erroneously,  the 
Irish  Ivy. 

H.  Canariensis  is  the  Irish,  or  Giant  Ivy ;  the  leaves  are 
five-lobed,  and  larger  than  those  of  the  common  ivy. 

Almost  all  the  varieties  of  nurserymen  s'  catalogues  are 
merely  forms  of  these,  with  peculiar  foliage. 


TREATMENT   OF   IVY.  13 1 

The  Golden  Ivy  is  a  splendid  plant ;  wnen  the  young 
leaves  come  out  it  resembles  a  mass  of  yellow  flowers. 

Ivies  are  grown  in  hanging  baskets,  around  windows, 
made  to  trail  around  picture  frames  and  looking  glasses ; 
indeed,  they  may  be  made  decorative  in  the  highest 
degree. 

lae  plonts  should  always  be  well  supplied  with  water, 
though  it.  should  never  be  allowed  to  stand  at  the  roots. 
Larp-e  plants  of  the  common  varieties  may  be  procured  for 
fifty  cents.  The  ornamental  foliaged  varieties  are  some- 
what dearer. 

If  you  have  ivy  growing  out  of  doors  (and  it  will  thrive 
if  you  keep  the  winter's  sun  away  from  it),  a  pretty  effect 
may  be  produced  by  cutting  large  branches,  and  keeping 
them  in  vases  of  rain  water.  They  will  grow  well  all 
winter,  and  planted  in  spring  make  nice  plants  for 
autumn. 

The  plant  commonly  known  as  German  Ivy  is  not  an  ivy ; 
the  botanical  name  is  Senecio  Scandens.  It  is  deservedly 
popular,  'rom  its  rapid  growth  and  its  freedom  from  insects. 
"We  ha-.',,  in  a  former  paragraph,  treated  of  it  more  fully. 

Tbo  Coliseum  Ivy  is  a  species  of  Snap-dragon,  as  may  be 
seen  r  .n  an  examination  of  the  flowers,  and  a  very  pretty 


132 


TREATMENT   OF   IVY. 


plant  it  is ;  botanically  it  is  Linaria  Cymbalaria,  and  is 
mentioned  more  fully  in  the  early  part  of  this  chapter. 

Five-leaved  Ivy  is  the  Virginia  Creeper  or  Woodbine 
(Ampelopsis  Virginica\  a  native  of  our  woods. 

The  Poison  Ivy  is  Elms  Eadicans  or  Ehus  Toxicoden- 
dron,  and  not  of  the  same  family  as  any  of  the  above. 


PLANTS   FOB   WINDOW   GARDENING.  133 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
PLANTS  E«R  WINDOW  GARDENING,  CONTINUED. 

ABCTILON  :  New  Varieties.  CALLA  LILY  :  Growth  in  Cases  in  the  Window.  OXALIS  : 
Description.— Soil.  — Species.  CDPHEA  HYSSOPIFOLIA.  CHBYSANTHEMDM :  New 
Varieties.  LILY  OP  THE  VALLEY  :  Forcing  in  House  Culture. 

THE  ABUTILON. 

rilHE  past  few  years  have  given  us  some  new  varieties  of 
Abutilon  which  are  very  valuable  as  window  plants. 

As  we  have  before  remarked,  all  the  Abutilons  are  of  very 
easy  culture,  thrive  well  in  the  close,  dry  atmosphere  of  the 
house,  flower  freely,  and  are  not  liable  to  the  attacks  of  in- 
sects, and  in  all  these  good  qualities  the  new  varieties  are  in 
no  respect  inferior  to  the  old. 

Abutilon  vexillarium  is  a  charming,  small-leaved  species, 
of  which  the  variety  with  the  foliage  beautifully  marked  with 
gold  is  most  common  in  cultivation.  The  habit  of  the  plant 
is  trailing,  the  shoots  weak  and  drooping,  which  fits  it  for  car- 
pet bedding  in  the  garden,  or  for  window  culture  in  hanging 
baskets. 


134       PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

Grafted  on  a  tall  stem  of  one  of  the  tall-growing  species 
it  forms  a  beautiful  head  of  pendulous  sprays,  and  is  a  very 
handsome  plant.  The  flowers  are  bright  yellow  from  a  red 
calyx,  and  with  protruding  black  pistil,  and  from  the  peculiar 
combination  of  rich  colors,  are  very  effective. 

The  plant  is  now  common,  and  may  be  obtained  at  any 
green-house. 

Cuttings  root  freely  on  sandy  loam. 

Abutilon  Vers chaff eltii  is  a  tall  growing  species  with 
woolly  leaves  and  light-yellow  flowers.  It  blooms  freely 
when  very  young,  and  is  seldom  out  of  flower.  It  is  a 
rapid  grower  and  a  very  attractive  plant.  In  the  summer 
it  makes  a  fine  show  in  the  garden.  As  in  most  of  the 
species,  the  flowers  are  pendulous  on  long  footstalks. 

Abutilon  Boule  de  Neige  is  a  new  seedling  of  French 
origin.  As  a  decorative  free  blooming  plant  it  is  unsur- 
passed, plants  only  a  few  inches  high  blooming  freely.  The 
blossoms  are  large,  pure,  lustrous  white,  with  bright  yellow 
pistil,  the  contrast  of  color  adding  greatly  to  the  effect.  Al- 
though a  new  plant,  it  increases  so  readily  that  it  is  easily 
obtainable ;  superior  in  every  respect,  it  is  one  of  the  greatest 
acquisitions  of  the  last  few  years. 


PLANTS   FOR   WINDOW   GARDENING.  135 

CALLA  LILY. 

This  plant  can  be  very  prettily  grown  in  a  window,  in 
hollow  tables. 

These  should  be  made  as  long  as  the  window,  and  about 
two  feet  wide.  fl?he  bulb  tables  now  in  general  use  do  very 
well  if  made  a  little  deeper,  for  the  Calla  requires  plenty  of 
root-room. 

A  zinc  pan  is  set  into  the  table ;  in  this  the  pots  are 
placed,  and  all  interstices  are  filled  with  moss ;  a  covering 
of  green  moss  is  then  placed  over  all,  and  we  have  the  lilies 
springing  from  a  bed  of  moss.  Water  very  freely,  even  to 
filling  the  pan  half  full,  and  give  all  the  light  and  sun  pos- 
sible, occasionally  turning  the  table,  as  the  plants  grow  to 
the  window.  The  amount  of  bloom  to  be  obtained  from  a 
dozen  good  sized  Callas  treated  in  this  way  is  surprising ; 
from  November  to  May  there  will  seldom  be  less  than  an 
average  of  one  flower  to  a  plant. 

In  May,  take  the  plants  out  of  the  pots  and  plant  them  in 
rich,  deep  soil  out  of  doors ;  the  foliage  will  die  down  and 
the  root  go  to  rest.  About  August  it  will  begin  to  grow 
again,  and  the  plants  will  be  ready  for  potting  by  the  middle 
£>f  September. 


136       PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

Thus  treated,  Callas  bloom  far  more  vigorously  than  when 
kept  growing  all  the  year. 

There  is  a  new  dwarf  Calla  which  is  very  pretty  and  de- 
sirable where  economy  of  room  is  an  object,  but  it  is  not  as 
showy  as  the  old  kind. 

The  Spotted-leaved  Calla  (Richardia  albo  maculata)  is 
valuable  for  its  spotted  arrow-shaped  foliage ;  the  flower  is 
green  and  not  showy  :  the  plant  dies  down  after  blooming, 
and  must  then  be  dried  off. 

OXALIS. 

There  are  about  a  hundred  species  of  these  pretty  bulbs, 
some  of  which  grow  and  bloom  well  in  the  window. 

The  foliage  is  generally  petiolate,  and  much  resembles 
clover.  The  flowers  are  mostly  yellow,  pink,  red,  or  white, 
and  the  various  shades  of  these  colors,  and  are  often  fra- 
grant. 

They  open  in  the  sun,  closing  in  dull  weather  and  at 
night. 

Many  are  free  bloomers,  and  all  are  remarkably  clean 
plants,  seldom  being  infested  with  insects. 

All  are  of  low  habit,  and  some  are  well  adapted  for  hang- 
ing baskets. 


PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING.       137 

The  bulbs  should  be  potted,  half  a  dozen  in  an  eight-inch 
pot,  —  or  better,  a  dozen  in  a  twelve-inch  pan,  —  in  sandy 
loam,  with  good  drainage,  about  the  first  of  October. 

The  foliage  will  soon  appear,  in  some  species  with  flow- 
ers, but  generally  the  foliage  will  grow  for  a  month  before 
bloom  begins. 

After  blooming,  grow  the  foliage  well,  giving  plenty  of 
water  until  it  begins  to  turn  yellow,  then  gradually  reduce 
the  supply  of  water  and  put  the  pots  on  a  closet  shelf,  let- 
ting them  remain  without  water  until  the  next  autumn. 

Some  of  the  best  varieties  are 

0.  Boweii,  flowers  bright  rosy  red,  very  large,  from 
October. 

0.  cemua,  a  common  species  with  a  double  variety  ; 
flowers  bright  yellow,  very  fragrant,  all  winter. 

0.  versicolor,  a  charming  plant  with  fine-cut  foliage,  the 
flowers  outside  crimson  red,  inside  creamy  white.  This 
species  grows  best  in  a  hanging  basket. 

0.  luxula  and  the  variety  alba  are  beautiful  plants,  the 
foliage  is  in  tufts,  the  flowers  on  long  footstalks  standing 
well  above  it.  They  are  very  large,  rosy  pink  or  white, 
with  yellow  centre. 

A  table  of  Oxalis  every  year  fills  for  us  a  sunny  window. 


138       PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

and  all  through  the  long  days  of  winter  it  is  gay  with  bright 
blossoms,  and  gives  quite  as  much  pleasure  as  the  rare 
exotics  which  are  brought  from  the  greenhouse. 

CUPHEA. 

A  new  Cuphea  ( G.  hyssopifolia)  has  proved  a  very  free 
blooming  plant,  being  never  out  of  bloom.  The  foliage  is 
dark  green,  very  fine ;  the  flowers  bright  pink,  completely 
covering  the  plant.  It  roots  freely  from  cuttings,  grows 
rapidly ;  the  plants  bloom  when  only  an  inch  high,  and 
whether  in  garden,  greenhouse,  or  window,  it  devotes  its 
whole  energies  to  flowering. 

Soil,  sandy  loam,  with  good  drainage. 

CHRYSANTHEMUM. 

LARGE  FLOWERED. 
Some  of  the  best  new  varieties  are — 
George  Peabody,  pure  white. 
Gloria  Mundi,  golden  yellow,  incurved. 
Princess  of  Teck,  pure  white,  finely  incurved. 
Marchioness  of  Lome,  rich  rosy  lilac. 
Bijou,  bright  rose  purple,  anemone  flowered. 
Jardin  des  Plants,  golden  yellow. 
Margaret,  large  pure  white,  anemone  flowered. 


FLAMS   FOR   WINDOW   GARDENING.  139 

POMPONB. 

Andromeda  rosea,  fine  rose. 

Bob,  rich  deep  crimson. 

Carminata,  crimson-red. 

Fabeola,  lilac,  anemone-flowered. 

Reine  des  Anemones,  white,  anemone-flowered- 

Embkmc,  pure  yellow. 

Brilliant,  orange-red. 

Model  of  Perfection,  rich  lilac. 

Madam  Eugene  Domage,  pure  white. 

Rose  oTamour,  clear  rose. 

The  Japanese  varieties  with  tasselled  flowers  are  more 
curious  than  beautiful.  Some  good  kinds  are  Acquisition, 
Beaumont,  Elaine,  Jane  Salter,  La  Coquette,  Garnet,  L' Or- 
nament de  la  Nature. 

LILY  OF  THE  VALLEY. 

Forcing  this  plant  for  winter  bloom  has  latterly  become 
quite  a  business  with  florists  ;  but  it  is  not  generally  known 
that  in  a  dwelling-house  fine  winter  flowers  can  be  had  with 
rery  little  trouble. 

The  pips  or  clumps  of  roots  can  be  obtained  from  any 


140       PLANTS  FOR  WINDOW  GARDENING. 

dealer  in  bulbs  in  October.  Put  them  at  once  in  good 
garden  soil,  placing  them  thick  in  the  pot. 

Water  moderately,  and  place  the  pots  in  a  shed  where 
they  will  freeze.  About  the  first  of  January  bring  the  pots 
into  the  kitchen,  and  place  them  on  the  shelf  over  the  range, 
or  in  any  very  warm  place,  giving  plenty  of  water. 

The  leaves  and  flower-stalks  will  rapidly  develop,  but 
will  be  without  color.  When  they  are  sufficiently  long, 
bring  them  into  full  sunlight,  where  they  will  get  color  in  a 
very  short  time.  Some  of  the  best  flowers  we  have  ever 
seen  were  grown  in  this  way. 

Surely  the  beauty  and  fragrance  of  this  favorite  flower 
will  repay  any  trouble.  We  should  never  weary  of  the 
Lily  of  the  Valley,  could  we  gather  it  every  day  in  the 
year. 


ORCHIDS  FOR  PARLOR  CULTURE.        141 


CHAPTER    IX. 

ORCHIDS   FOR  PARLOR  CULTURE. 

LTCASTE.  —  ODONTOGLOSSCM.  —  CTPBIPEDIUM.  —  BLETIA.  —  PHAIUS.  — 

fTlHE  word  "  orchid"  conveys  to  most  minds  an  idea  of  a 
plant  which  grows  only  in  great  heat,  and  requires  a 
peculiar  mode  of  culture.  To  some,  "  orchid  "  is  synony- 
mous with  air  plant ;  yet  a  large  portion  of  orchids  are 
not  air  plants  (epiphytal),  and  many  thrive  in  a  moderate 
temperature,  and  require  no  peculiar  culture. 

Some  orchids  grow  at  such  elevation  that  hoar-frost  is 
found  upon  the  leaves,  while  others  are  natives  of  the  hot 
jungles  of  the  Indian  Archipelago. 

Formerly  all  orchids  were  grown  in  a  hot,  steamy  atmos- 
phere, that  being  the  treatment  which  theory  recommended. 
The  natural  consequence  was  that  many  perished  under 
such  uncongenial  culture. 

The  past  few  years  have  shown  that  orchids  from  cool 
regions  require  cool  culture,  a  temperature  somewhat  re- 


142        ORCHIDS  FOR  PARLOR  CULTURE. 

sembling  that  of  their  native  haunts.  The  only  wonder  is 
that  horticulturists  were  thirty  years  in  opening  their  eyes 
to  this  patent  fact. 

Experience  has  also  shown  that  some  few  of  the  large 
class  of  cool  orchids  can  be  successfully  grown  and  bloomed 
in  the  parlor. 

Many  orchids  are  remarkable  only  for  their  showy  flow- 
ers, the  foliage  being  sparse  or  deciduous.  But  those  or- 
chids adapted  to  parlor  culture  are  all  from  genera  having 
evergreen  leaves,  and  the  foliage  of  some  is  ornamental. 

The  general  rules  for  potting  orchids  are  :  Give  plenty  of 
drainage  —  no  orchids  thrive  in  a  close,  sour  soil,  many  re- 
quire plenty  of  water,  but  none  thrive  in  standing  water ; 
make  the  soil  porous,  lumpy,  —  broken,  not  sifted ;  give 
pure  air  and  light,  and  a  decided  season  of  rest ;  keep  the 
foliage  clean  and  free  from  dust,  and  preserve  the  roots 
from  their  numerous  insect  enemies. 

LYCASTE. 

A  family  of  some  thirty  species  of  terrestrial  orchids  from 
South  America. 

The  leaves  are  large  and  plaited,  the  flowers  borne 
usually  on  single  scapes,  large  and  very  showy. 


ORCHIDS   FOR   PARLOR   CULTURE.  143 

These  plants  should  be  potted  in  coarse  peat  and  sphag- 
num moss,  with  broken  potsherds  or  bits  of  charcoal. 

When  growing  they  need  plenty  of  water,  and  even  when 
at  rest  should  never  be  allowed  to  become  entirely  dry. 

L.  Skinneri.  This  beautiful  plant  is  a  native  of  Guate- 
mala. The  nbwers  are  large,  from  three  to  six  inches  in 
diameter,  sepals  and  petals  white  or  rose,  recurved,  lip  vary- 
ing from  pure  white  to  deepest  carmine.  The  growth  is 
made  in  summer,  the  flowers  are  produced  in  winter ;  they 
last  six  weeks  in  beauty,  and  many  are  produced  in  succes- 
sion. 

Although  a  close,  moist  atmosphere  is  best  suited  to  this 
plant  when  in  growth,  it  may  be  grown  in  the  parlor.  Give 
plenty  of  water  and  light  without  full  sun,  the  object  being 
to  grow  the  foliage  as  large  as  possible.  When  growth  is 
complete,  generally  by  October,  reduce  the  water  and  give 
more  sun. 

Those  who  have  a  vinery  can  grow  this  plant  in  great 
perfection  ;  put  them  in  the  vinery  from  May  to  October, 
in  the  parlor  from  October  to  May.  Figured  in  Bot.  Mng., 
tab.  4445.  Pax.  Mag.,  11,  p.  1. 

L.  HarrisonicB.  A  showy  species  which  is  easily  grown 
in  the  parlor.  The  leaf  is  large  and  solitary,  the  floweis 


144        ORCHIDS  FOR  PARLOR  CULTURE. 

three  inches  in  diameter,  one  or  two  on  a  spike,  white  or 
yellowish,  waxy,  lip  rich  rose,  varying  to  lilac.  This  plant 
blooms  constantly  at  all  seasons.  Bot.  Reg.,  tab.  897. 

ODONTOGLOSSUM. 

A  large  genus  of  generally  cool  orchids.  Doubtless 
many  of  these  beautiful  plants  could  be  grown  in  the  par- 
lor ;  we  have,  however,  had  experience  with  only  one. 

0.  grande.  A  noble  species,  with  dark  evergreen  foliage. 
Flowers  on  erect  racemes,  five  inches  across  ;  glossy  yellow, 
beautifully  barred  with  chocolate  ;  produced  freely  in  au- 
tumn and  early  winter. 

Pot  in  sphagnum  moss,  coarse  peat,  and  charcoal. 

Treated   as   prescribed  for  Lycaste   Skinneri  it  blooms 

freely. 

CYPRIPEDIUM. 

A  very  large  genus,  inhabiting  in  some  species  both  con- 
tinents, both  in  the  temperate  and  torrid  zones.  The  plants 
are  commonly  known  as  Lady's  Slipper.  We  have  in  our 
woods  beautiful  species,  and  among  exotics  many  no  less 
attractive. 

Our  native  species,  if  potted  late  in  the  autumn,  will 
bloom  in  the  window  in  early  spring. 


ORCHIDS  FOR  PARLOR  CULTURE.        145 

The  best  species  for  parlor  culture  is  — 

C.  insigne.  A  noble  plant  from  Nepal ;  foliage  narrow, 
dark  green  ;  flower  solitary  (rarely  two),  three  inches 
broad,  greenish  edged  with  white ;  wings  long,  purple  and 
yellow.  The  flowers  are  very  freely  produced  from  Novem- 
ber to  February,  and  last  two  months  in  perfection. 

"SVe  have  now  (January,  1876)  a  plant  in  the  parlor  win- 
dow, with  thirty-six  flowers,  which  has  been  in  full  beauty 
for  four  weeks  ;  the  pot  is  two  feet  in  diameter,  and  this 
plant  has  been  grown  from  a  single  small  pot  in  two  years. 
This,  however,  was  in  the  greenhouse  ;  but  in  the  parlor 
the  growth,  though  slower,  is  no  less  satisfactory. 

Soil,  rich  peaty  loam.  This  plant  should  never  be  al- 
lowed to  get  dry,  and  requires  very  little  rest.  Grow  in 
full  sunshine. 

O.  venustum.  A  pretty  species,  with  beautiful,  variegated 
foliage  ;  flowers,  rich  brown,  green,  and  chocolate,  but  not 
very  showy. 

Requires  the  same  soil  and  general  treatment  as  the  last. 

BLETIA. 

A  family  of  terrestrial  orchids  of  easy  culture.    The  root- 
stocks  should  be  potted  in  autumn,  grown  with  plenty  of 
10 


14G  ORCHIDS  FOR  PARLOR   CULTURE. 

sun  and  water.  The  flowers  are  produced  in  March  on  ter- 
minal spikes,  and  though  transient,  are  very  pretty. 

Soil,  rich  loam.  After  blooming,  the  foliage  dies  away 
and  the  roots  go  to  rest. 

B.  hyacinthina.  A  delicate  species,  with  purple  flowers, 
marked  with  white,  somewhat  resembling  our  wild  Calo- 
pogon.  Easily  grown. 

PHAIUS. 

These  plants  are  tall  growers,  with  large  broad  evergreen 
foliage,  and  tall  scapes  of  large  handsome  flowers. 

They  need  a  rich  soil,  plenty  of  water,  and  full  light  and 
sun -heat. 

P.  grandifolius,  a  native  of  China,  grows  and  flowers 
well  in  the  parlor.  Although  an  orchid  it  will  stand  more 
hard  usage  than  most  plants.  The  flowers  are  white  ex- 
ternally, purplish  brown  inside,  lip  white  and  brown. 
Blooms  freely  from  January  to  March.  A  more  showy 
plant,  both  in  growth  and  flower,  it  would  be  hard  to  find. 
We  have  grown  plants,  with  forty  scapes  carrying  more 
than  five  hundred  flowers. 


ORCHIDS    FOR    PARLOR    CULTURE.  147 

GOODTERA. 

Pretty  terrestrial  orchids,  of  which  two  species,  natives  of 
shady  woods,  are  very  pretty  parlor  plants. 

G.  pubescens  and  repens  are  not  rare  plants,  but  if  potted 
in  rich  leaf  mould  they  are  very  showy  in  window  culture. 
The  foliage  is  green,  with  silver  tracery ;  the  flowers  white, 
in  erect  spikes. 

Many  rare  exotics  possess  less  beauty  than  these  simple 
native  plants. 


148   HYACINTHS,  SUCCULENTS,  AND  EVERGREENS. 


CHAPTER   X. 

ROMAN  HYACINTHS:  forcing  for  Christmas.  SUCCULENTS  as  Window  Plants.— 
HARDY  AND  HALF  HARDY  EVERGREENS  :  Hall  and  Vestibule  Decoration.  HOL« 
LIES.  —  RETINOSPORA.  —  YUCCAS  .  —  TAXUS.  —  THUJA  .  —  CUPRESSUS.  —  THUJOPSIS.  — 
Propagation  of  Evergreens  by  Window  Culture. 

rilHE  Roman  Hyacinth  is  a  charming  early  blooming 
species  admirably  adapted  for  forcing,  and  easily 
grown  in  the  parlor.  It  is  the  earliest  autumn-flowering 
bulb  we  have,  and  by  potting  for  succession  may  be  had  in 
bloom  from  November  to  March. 

Each  bulb  gives  from  one  to  four  spikes  of  pure  white 
deliciously  fragrant  flowers. 

They  are  best  grown  in  large  flat  pans,  and  the  bulbs, 
which  are  small,  should  be  planted  about  an  inch  apart  each 
way. 

The  soil  should  be  sandy  loam,  and  the  plants  should  be 
well  grown,  freely  watered,  and  occasionally  with  liquid 
manure.  This  plant  has  been  long  in  cultivation,  having 
been  introduced  in  1596. 


HYACINTHS,  SUCCULENTS,  AND  EVERGREENS.   149 

To  have  this  plant  in  bloom  for  Christmas,  when  it  is  par- 
ticularly valuable  on  account  of  the  scarcity  of  pure  white 
flowers  at  that  season,  we  should  pot  the  bulbs  the  latter 
part  of  September ;  set  the  pots  in  a  dark  place,  watering 
moderately  for  about  three  weeks.  The  pots  will  then  be 
full  of  roots,  Ihd  the  plants  may  be  set  in  the  window ;  the 
shoots  will  grow  rapidly  and  soon  show  flowers. 

Botanically  this  plant  is  Bellevalia  operculata,  sometimes 
Hyacinthus  romanus. 

Bulbs  cost  about  six  dollars  a  hundred. 

SUCCULENTS. 

The  plants  known  as  Succulents  comprise  many  genera 
varying  much  in  appearance,  but  all  requiring  the  same 
general  culture.  The  soil  should  be  porous,  well  drained,  and 
sandy  loam.  The  pots  should  generally  be  small,  as  a  ma- 
jority of  these  plants  are  low,  flat  growers.  Great  care  should 
be  used  in  watering,  lest  an  excess  make  the  plant  rot  oiF. 

With  few  exception,  these  plants  are  valuable  only  for 
their  neat  and  attractive  growth  or  for  beautiful  foliage ;  some 
however  are  very  beautiful  in  flower. 

At  present  these  plants  are  very  popular,  and  many  fine 
collections  exist,  numbering  many  hundreds  of  species. 


150   HYACINTHS,  SUCCULENTS,  AND  EVERGREENS. 

A  window  full  of  neatly  potted  plants  of  Sempervii'um, 
Haworthia,  JEcheveria,  Aloe,  Rhipsalis,  Crassula,  or  in  fact 
of  any  of  the  many  genera,  is  very  attractive.  Our  space 
allows  us  to  mention  but  very  few. 

All  the  Sempervivums,  from  the  common  House-leek 
(S.  tectorum),  are  very  interesting ;  the  neat  rosette  plants 
are  beautiful  and  the  flowers  curious. 

The  Echiverias  are  showy  in  foliage,  and  one  variety  E. 
lutea  grandiflora,  is  a  free  blooming  and  very  handsome 
plant.  E.  rosacea  or  mexicana  is  a  glaucous  green  and 
forms  a  perfect  rosette. 

Crassula  perfoliata  is  an  admirable  window  plant.  The 
flowers  are  pure  white,  in  loose  spikes,  and  are  freely  pro- 
duced about  Christmas. 

Pachyphytum  bracteosum  has  thick  fleshy  leaves,  covered 
with  silvery  bloom. 

It  is  a  very  beautiful  plant. 

Othonna  crassifolia  has  light  yellowish-green  fleshy  foli- 
age and  bright  yellow  flowers.  For  a  hanging  basket,  it  is 
invaluable,  and  in  the  garden  it  forms  the  best  carpet  for 
bedding. 

All  the  Century  Plants  (Agave)  and  Aloes  are  suitable 
for  window  culture,  although  they  are  generally  of  large 


HYACINTHS,  SUCCULENTS,  AND  EVERGREENS.   151 

growth.     They  are  however  easily  grown,  require  little  care, 
and  are  exceedingly  ornamental. 

HARDY  AND  HALF-HARDY  EVERGREENS. 

Many  of  these  are  of  low  growth,  and  are  suitable  for 
hall  or  vestibule  decoration.  They  only  require  to  be  lifted 
from  the  garden  late  in  the  autumn,  and  to  be  potted  in 
•common  loam. 

During  the  winter  they  will  not  grow,  so  they  need  but 
little  water,  —  in  fact  the  soil  should  be  kept  moist,  but  never 
wet ;  the  only  other  care  they  will  require  is  frequent  dust- 
ing of  the  foliage  with  a  feather  duster. 

In  spring  the  plants  may  be  planted  out  in  the  garden  for 
summer  growth. 

Some  of  the  best  plants  for  this  mode  of  decoration  are — 

HOLLIES. 

These  plants  are  not  thoroughly  hardy  in  New  England, 
but  for  summer  decoration  they  are  very  fine. 

Some  of  the  best  varieties  are  — 

Common  Green  Holly  (Ilex  aquifolium),  in  its  many 
varieties,  I.  ferox,  myrtifolia,  laurifolia,  scottica,  serrati- 
folia,  angustifolia,  and  others. 


152   HYACINTHS,  SUCCULENTS,  AND  EVERGREENS. 

The  Variegated  Hollies :  Golden  Queen  and  Silver 
Queen. 

All  these  can  be  imported,  trained  as  bushes,  pyramids,  or 
trees ;  and  whether  in  foliage  or  also  covered  with  the  bright 
scarlet  berries,  are  very  ornamental. 

The  American  Holly  (Ilex  opaca)  is  hardy. 

RETINOSPORA. 

These  are  among  the  most  beautiful  of  evergreens ;  neat 
in  growth,  attractive  in  appearance,  dwarf,  compact,  and 
often  delicate  and  graceful  in  foliage,  they  possess  all  good 
qualities. 

Some  of  the  best  are  R.  ericoides,  glaucous  green  with 
purple  tinge;  jilifera,  long  slender  branches;  lycopodi- 
oides,  very  delicate  ;  the  variegated  varieties  of  obtusa,  and 
pisifera,  all  beautiful,  and  the  showy  plumosa. 

YUCCAS. 

These  showy  plants  are  adapted  for  hall  decoration. 

The  best  are  Y.  recurvata,  gloriosa,  aloefolia,  and  the 
variegated  kinds. 

These  are  half-hardy ;  the  more  tender  species  need 
greenhouse  culture. 


HYACINTHS,  SUCCULENTS,  AND  EVERGREENS.   153 

TAXUS. 

The  Golden  Yew  ( T.  baccatta  aurea)  is  a  very  handsome 
plant,  bright  in  color,  and  very  desirable. 

T.  elegantissima  is  far  brighter  and  better. 

T.  fastigiata  is  the  Irish  yew  ;  a  very  erect  grower,  suit- 
able for  tubs  on  each  side  of  a  vestibule. 

THUJA. 

Many  of  the  tender  Arbor  Vitaes  are  very  handsome, 
grown  as  specimens. 

The  best  are  T.  aurea  and  T.  semper  aurea,  the  latter  of 
which  retains  its  golden  foliage  throughout  the  year. 

CUPRESSUS. 

The  cypress  is  not  hardy  with  us,  but  is  valuable  for  the 
garden  in  summer  and  the  hall  in  winter. 

The  best  is  C.  Lawsoniana  in  its  many  forms;  pendulous, 
variegated  gold  and  silver,  dwarf,  and  the  magnificent  fasti- 
gate  variety,  C.  erecta  viridis. 

All  are  beautiful,  and  the  number  to  Jbe  grown  is  only  to 
be  limited  by  the  winter  accommodation  and  the  length  of 
our  purses. 


154   HYACINTHS,  SUCCULENTS,  AND  EVERGREENS. 

THUJOPSIS. 

T.  vorialis  is  a  showy  plant,  not  thoroughly  hardy  in 
New  England,  though  often  surviving  uninjured  by  the 
winter. 

It  is  of  a  bright  lively  green,  of  elegant  growth,  and  re- 
sembles a  cross  between  a  cypress  and  an  arbor  vitse. 

PROPAGATION  BY  WINDOW  CULTURE. 

A  very  easy  way  to  get  a  stock  of  young  evergreens,  and 
at  the  same  time  to  have  a  pretty  show  in  a  window,  is  to 
take  off  the  tips  of  the  shoots  of  such  varieties  as  we  wish 
to  increase,  in  November. 

Fill  some  long  boxes  which  fit  the  window  with  pure 
fresh  white  sand,  level  the  surface,  give  a  good  watering, 
and  then  plant  the  tips  in  close  lines  till  the  boxes  are 
filled. 

If  we  have  the  variegated  kinds,  the  effect  is  very  pretty. 

Keep  the  sand  just  wet,  do  not  allow  the  plants  to  freeze, 
but  keep  them  cool ;  give  plenty  of  light  but  no  hot  sun. 

This  little  window-garden  will  be  very  attractive,  and  by 
spring  many  of  the  cuttings  will  have  good  roots,  when 
they  may  be  planted  out.  ^^—-.  _^ 


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LD  21-100m-12,'43  (8796s) 


